Microsoft Confirms Multi-Year Partnership to Power Its Next-Generation Xbox

Published 18 hours ago• 3 minute read

Microsoft has announced and AMD have entered a multi-year strategic partnership to power the next-generation of Xbox consoles, including the Xbox Series X successor reportedly planned to launch in 2027. The partnership between Xbox and AMD aims to deliver more gaming experiences across a number of different devices as well, including PC and handheld platforms.

Rumors and speculation regarding Xbox's plans for its next-generation consoles. While Xbox's own handheld console has reportedly been canceled, fans saw a glimpse into what the future of Xbox could bring during the June 8th Xbox Games Showcase. During the showcase, Xbox president Sarah Bond officially unveiled the new ROG Xbox Ally handheld console, which is planned to launch by the end of 2025. Moreover, reports suggest that Xbox is allocating resources toward improving Windows 11 and Xbox-related layers and apps on the operating system. Xbox's shift in plans didn't appear to have an effect on the development of the Xbox Series X successor, leading to the announcement of Xbox and AMD's partnership.

Xbox Handheld Can Technically Play Some PlayStation Games

Xbox's newly revealed handheld console, the ROG Xbox Ally, will be reportedly able to play some PlayStation games natively on the console.

In a new video released on the official Xbox YouTube channel, Sarah Bond announced that Xbox and AMD have entered a partnership to power the next-generation of Xbox, which includes consoles, PC, handhelds, and cloud technology. According to Microsoft and Bond, the partnership will "uplevel the player experience" by bringing advanced graphics with improved visual quality, immersive gameplay using the power of AI, and ensuring compatibility with the existing Xbox games library, such as Xbox Series X|S games and backwards-compatible titles. Microsoft also wants Xbox gamers to benefit from the partnership, as Xbox and AMD hope to enable "play across devices in entirely new ways" without being locked to a single store or device.

What's more, Bond confirmed that Xbox is working closely with the Windows team in order to ensure Windows is the number one platform for gaming. This likely alludes to Xbox's plans to improve Windows 11 for gaming across multiple devices, which includes the aforementioned ROG Xbox Ally handheld.

If reports are true, development of the Xbox console that will succeed the Xbox Series X is continuing at "full pace," and the console's 2027 launch window will not change for the time being. Resources allocated to the Xbox and Windows teams will also go toward the development of partner projects, similar to Xbox's collaborative efforts with ASUS to create the ROG Xbox Ally. Xbox is also reportedly planning to bring titles to Nintendo Switch 2, with Microsoft's Phil Spencer reiterating that Nintendo has been a great partner for Xbox.