While the refresh of the current Xbox models focuses more on tuning the existing hardware and minor improvements (reduction in consumption, faster Wi-Fi, larger storage and an updated controller), in the long term Microsoft is counting on a really significant generational upgrade. The materials, which were created at the latest at the beginning of this year, present a really big upgrade:
Microsoft / US Courts via Wario64
We learn that Microsoft is considering either using the ARM64 processor architecture or using it for the development of the next generation Zen 6 from AMD. The first option would make the situation a bit more complicated for Microsoft, as it would have to license the graphics architecture from AMD and design the entire chip with its own resources. In case of use Zen 6 would have an easier situation, AMD would take care of the complete design, including the graphics. It would (at least according to the presented assumption) be built on the RDNA 5 architecture. It also includes an artificial intelligence accelerator (NPU, Neural Processing Unit).
Microsoft / US Courts via Wario64
When it comes to new technologies, Microsoft is counting on the wide deployment of AI/ML technologies, both within the range of existing ones (image interpolation + frame rate interpolation, i.e. similar to FSR 3), and flirting with technologies that are only at the beginning of development. For example, latency compensation using the Cloud, procedural generation of game content, dialogs, etc.
Microsoft / US Courts via Wario64
Although the Microsoft materials include a roadmap with years dating the individual steps, it is not entirely clear from it whether a specific year (CY = calendar year) marks its beginning, middle or end. If we proceed from the data (on the next slide) that the release is to take place in 2028, then it can be logically deduced that instead of indicating the number (e.g. CY29) it means the beginning of the given year (for the release to take place in 2028, so the state would logically be before the beginning of 2029).
This would mean that the leaked materials date from around the spring of 2022 and many decisions have been made (since then). For example, the decision to go the ARM or x86 route, according to the last line in the slide above, had to be made no later than early this year (2023).
Microsoft / US Courts via Wario64
The last slide summarizes the situation with each generation of consoles and shows that the time between the current generation and the next generation (8 years) will be as long as between Xbox 360 (2005) and Xbox One (2013). Which, on the one hand, can be understood in view of the continuously slowing down development of production processes – on the other hand, it is difficult to expect that in 2027-2028, customers will buy consoles (already three years old) in any relevant volumes, which will guarantee companies to maintain user bases.
2023-09-20 08:01:45
#generation #XBox #carry #ARM64 #Zen #RDNA
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