Next-gen Xbox “Project Helix” will lack “special sauce” – Leaker claims
Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox will lack custom GPU silicon, leaker claims
The specifications for Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox “Project Helix” console have already leaked, and they paint a clear picture. Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox will be a powerful console, with its “Magnus” chip bringing together AMD Zen 6 CPU cores, RDNA 5 graphics, and a powerful NPU. Now, the leaker KeplerL2 has claimed that Microsoft’s Project Helix GPU has “0 customisation”, implying that Microsoft’s next-gen console will not have any “special sauce” (at least in GPU performance terms).
Microsoft is reportedly using off-the-shelf AMD GPU silicon. This backs up previous rumours that Microsoft’s new console will use the same silicon as an upcoming AMD RDNA 5 graphics card. There are no customisations or special add-ons. Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox will use pure AMD RDNA 5 graphics and include the full RDNA 5 feature set.
Some silicon will be custom
What’s worth noting is that Microsoft’s “Magnus” chip will use custom silicon. KeplerL2 clearly states that only the GPU has “0 customisation”. Magnus’ CPU/NPU chiplet will use custom silicon. It reportedly features 3 Zen 6 CPU cores and eight Zen 6c CPU cores. It also reportedly features an NPU that can deliver up to 110 TOPS of AI performance, though this can be reduced if developers choose to allocate power elsewhere.
Does custom GPU silicon matter?
By using off-the-shelf AMD GPU silicon, Microsoft does not need to allocate resources to GPU design. It can instead rely on AMD and work with them on RDNA 5’s feature set. AMD has already confirmed that “FSR Diamond“, AMD’s successor to FSR Redstone, is “co-engineered” for Project Helix.
AMD’s FSR Diamond includes next-gen neural rendering, next-gen ML-based upscaling, ML Multi-Frame Generation, and next-gen RT and path tracing. Instead of creating these tools themselves and building custom silicon, Microsoft is collaborating with AMD to create FSR Diamond. This is similar to AMD’s efforts with Sony on Project Amethyst.
By using non-custom AMD silicon, Microsoft will likely benefit from economies of scale. If both AMD and Xbox use the same GPU silicon for products, they will likely achieve higher production yields and lower per-unit pricing. Furthermore, it guarantees that all RDNA 5 features AMD develops will be Xbox-compatible.
(KeplerL2 on Neogaf)
Xbox and PC are getting closer than ever
Microsoft’s Project Helix will likely use the same silicon as a future AMD RDNA 5 discrete GPU. While its configuration may differ (it may use a different number of active Compute Units (CUs) and run at different clock speeds), it will retain the same core feature set. Ultimately, this means that Microsoft cannot miss out on any next-generation RDNA 5 features or have capabilities that are inferior to an RDNA 5-based gaming PC.
While Sony is likely to use custom GPU silicon, it is unlikely to include any secret features that Xbox lacks. After all, AMD and Sony are working together on “Project Amethyst“. As such, Sony and AMD are also working together on RDNA 5’s feature set and capabilities. This means that Sony should also benefit from “FSR Diamond”, though Sony will likely give its features branded names like “PSSR 3”.
If these rumours are correct, Xbox “Project Helix” has no “Special Sauce”. There is no modern equivalent to “blast processing” or secret GPU hardware capabilities that will push Xbox far past the competition. Microsoft is simply building a powerful console with AMD’s full RDNA 5 GPU feature set. If you want to know how PS6 and Xbox “Project Helix” compare, we have detailed their leaked specifications here. That said, it is worth remembering that these specifications are rumoured, and neither Sony nor Xbox have unveiled the final specifications of their consoles.
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