Microsoft’s Project Scarlett to use Zen 2 and next-gen Radeon processors
Microsoft’s Project Scarlett to use Zen 2 and next-gen Radeon processors
Brad Sams, an executive editor of Thurrott.com, has claimed that Microsoft’s next-generation “Project Scarlett” console will feature AMD’s upcoming 7nm Zen 2 CPU cores as well as a next-generation, likely Radeon, graphics unit, with backwards compatibility being a big concern for the gaming giant.
With Scarlett, Xbox is targetting 4K resolutions at 60FPS framerates, with Sams claiming that hardware will be less of a console differentiator than it has been in previous generations, with Microsoft planning to offer a variety of exclusive gaming software while bringing affordability to the table with game streaming services.
Given the designs of AMD’s next-generation EPYC processors, it is likely that Microsoft’s next-generation console will utilise a similar multi-die system architecture, perhaps using the same 8-core Zen 2 core clusters as EPYC, allowing Microsoft to use a proven off-the-shelf chip design from AMD while benefiting AMD with the economies of scale offered by high-volume console hardware. A unified package with an interconnected I/O die, 8-core Zen 2 CPU die and a custom Radeon graphics die seems probable for both the next-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft.
In the near future, Microsoft is also set to release a diskless Xbox One S console, targetting a lower price point by offering a smaller form factor while abandoning the console’s costly 4K Blu-Ray drive.
You can join the discussion on Microsoft’s Project Scarlett allegedly using AMD’s Zen 2 processors on the OC3D Forums.