Microsoft and AMD Extend Partnership for Future Xbox Devices

Xbox President Sarah Bond has confirmed the extension of Microsoft's long-standing partnership with AMD. The core goal is co-developing chips for the next generation of Xbox devices. This collaboration targets not just traditional consoles, but also handheld gaming systems, cloud solutions, and accessories. Bond emphasized that a key priority for Microsoft remains preserving compatibility with the existing Xbox game library when transitioning to new hardware.

This move appears to address community questions raised following the announcement of the ASUS co-developed "Xbox Ally" handheld device. Partnering with AMD, whose Zen and RDNA architecture chips already power the Xbox Series X/S, should ensure platform consistency.

Technically, the collaboration focuses on:

Bond also highlighted close collaboration with the Windows team, aiming to strengthen the PC's position as a gaming platform. A vital aspect of Microsoft's strategy is its stated commitment to openness: players should be able to play anywhere, with anyone, without being locked to a single store or device type.

While specifics of future chips (like a potential move to Zen 6 or RDNA 5) remain unconfirmed, the renewed AMD partnership signals stability for Xbox's future hardware foundation – where compatibility and incremental experience improvements are paramount.