In some twist I didn’t see coming, Microsoft popped out with news on a random Tuesday. They’ve teamed up with AMD again—pretty solid if you ask me. This time it’s about building stuff for the next Xbox consoles and also, wait for it, portable gadgets. Yeah, they’re not just thinking big, they’re thinking everywhere. And it’s not just a one-and-done deal; they’re in it for the long haul, with multiple generations set to roll out.
Sarah Bond, this bigwig at Xbox (president, no less), got all hyped up talking about a multi-year thing with AMD. She dropped hints about “co-engineering silicon” for the Xbox of your dreams, and one you can actually hold. Why I noticed this, I’m not sure, but it kind of stayed with me.
So, Microsoft finally spilled the beans on what’s been a pretty open secret: new Xbox consoles are cooking. And not just for your TV—think on-the-go. Portable, handheld. Apparently, all this cool tech is still riding on AMD’s processors that promise to power up big time from what the Xbox Series X is using now but will keep your old games working too (backwards compatibility or something).
They’re talking about pushing game graphics to some next-level art form—it’s like they’re unlocking a new dimension or something. All of this with AI’s might. Anyway, Microsoft is pretty famous for telling us about new consoles way before we can actually buy them, so if the past is any guide, maybe we’ll see these new Xboxes holiday 2026? Just guessing here—remember Project Scarlett? Same kinda vibe—announced in 2019, dropped in late 2020.
Here’s the twist: handheld consoles, a market that’s been niche despite some cool gadgets like Valve’s Steam Deck. Microsoft thinks they can jump in and make a splash. A portable Xbox? Sounds like it. Talking custom processors again.
Sarah Bond once more with the awesome quotes—something about playing any game, with anyone, anywhere. They’re pouring money into next-gen gear: consoles, handhelds, cloud, the works. Her excitement’s contagious. She’s like, can’t wait to show you more! I’m getting intrigued.
It sounds a lot like Xbox is leaning into this “play everywhere” future. Gaming not boxed into one gadget, like, literally. Bond went on about working with the Windows folks to make it the top gaming spot. Well, we’ll see where this goes.
And hey, if you’re digging this kind of news, Tom’s Hardware has you covered. Think of it like inbox intel.
