Microsoft’s moving Xbox Next forward with AMD’s Zen 5 and RDNA 5 tech

Xbox Next could arrive as early as 2026 with a Zen 5 CPU and RDNA 5 graphics

Rumour has it that Microsoft are planning to launch their next-generation Xbox much earlier than expected. According to Red Gaming Tech, Microsoft could launch their Xbox Series X/S successor as early as 2026, far ahead of the company’s previously leaked Xbox Next plans.

Previously, Microsoft has planned to release the next Xbox in 2028. This was revealed when unredacted Microsoft documents were leaked through US courts. Now, it looks like Microsoft want to launch their next Xbox long before Sony’s next-generation PlayStation 6. In effect, Microsoft may be reacting to the PlayStation 5 Pro with an all new console, not a beefed up version of the Series X (a Series Z perhaps?).

Microsoft are reportedly working on a next-generation Xbox design that will feature an AMD Zen 5 CPU and Radeon RDNA 5 graphics. These CPU/GPU architectures will be three generations ahead of the Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures used in m Microsoft’s Series X and Series S consoles. With this technology, Microsoft are aiming to deliver a huge leap in performance over PlayStation 5 Pro.

Microsoft’s prior next-generation console plans mentioned use of either a Zen 6 or ARM64 based processor. With Microsoft moving forward their timetable, it looks like Microsoft will be opting to use AMD’s Zen 5 CPU architecture. Like previously planned, Microsoft plans to use RDNA 5 graphics technology. At this time, it is unknown if Microsoft plans to add an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) to their new console for AI acceleration.

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