Xbox's next-gen console may run on AMD's 'Magnus' chip to rival high-end PCs

It’s hard to believe, but the current Xbox and PlayStation consoles are already halfway through their lives. Both hit the market in 2020, and if history repeats, we’re likely looking at new hardware by 2027.

Rumors are already starting to build, and they’re hinting at what to expect, especially for the next Xbox. Microsoft might not be going after Sony this time. Instead, it could be aiming at the gaming PC crowd.

According to a report by TweakTown, Microsoft’s next console might feature AMD’s ‘Magnus’ APU. That’s a component you’d typically find in high-end prebuilt PCs, not your average living room console. If that’s true, the system could come packed with a Zen 6 CPU and RDNA 5 graphics.

That’s not all; leaker Moore’s Law is Dead claims Xbox may use an AT2 die with up to 64 compute units (CUs) of RDNA 5, 18GB of super-fast GDDR7 RAM, and memory speeds pushing 864GB per second. That’s an absurd amount of bandwidth, more than enough to keep up with what gaming PCs can do.

If all this holds up, Xbox may finally come up with something that doesn’t involve chasing PlayStation. Instead of playing the usual game of catch-up, Microsoft could be prepping a premium, almost modular console that targets PC performance in a box.

For now, don’t expect an official reveal anytime soon. Microsoft’s focus right now is on launching the handheld Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X later this year. Those devices still don’t have an official price tag just yet, but they are coming soon. All that said, we’ll probably start seeing details about the next-gen Xbox by mid-2026.