AMD confirms costly next-gen Xbox's launch: What gamers should know about

The next-generation Xbox seems to be on the way to its launch in 2027, as disclosed by AMD, the company responsible for powering the upcoming major home games console.

AMD CEO Lisa Su noted that work on the custom processors that will drive Microsoft’s next Xbox is progressing well.

“Development of Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox featuring an AMD semi-custom SoC is progressing well to support a launch in 2027,” she remarked during the earnings call on Monday, Engadget reported.

When next-gen Xbox might release

While speculations are pointing to 2027 as the year when the Xbox Series X|S would be released, this is the first confirmation from a major player regarding the release plans.

The development comes as a follow-up to a “strategic multi-year partnership” Microsoft and AMD announced in June last year, in a bid to support the development of consoles, handhelds, PCs, and accessories.

“Together with AMD, we’re advancing the state of the art in gaming silicon to deliver the next generation of graphics innovation… enhanced with the power of AI, all while maintaining compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games,” said Xbox chief Sarah Bond.

It must be remembered that just because AMD is confident that the system-on-a-chip will be ready for launch does not mean Microsoft will necessarily release the console next year, because several other factors come into play. A notable one is the ongoing RAM shortage, mainly driven by the AI boom.

Xbox Series X|S pricing 

Microsoft might also wait until memory is more affordable and readily available rather than passing those costs onto consumers. This means that Xbox Series X|S may not be that much pricey than expected.

Most of this will also depend on the development of launch titles and what Sony has in store for its next-generation PlayStation. Recent reports indicated that both companies may consider delaying releases longer than anticipated.