Microsoft announces AMD team-up for next-gen Xbox and handheld devices

Microsoft’s Sarah Bond has announced a strategic partnership with AMD to engineer and build the next generation of Xbox consoles and handheld devices together.

“Together with AMD we’re advancing the state of art in gaming silicon to deliver the next generation of graphics innovation to unlock a deeper level of visual quality and immersive gameplay and player experiences enhanced with the power of AI, all while maintaining compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games,” Bond said, confirming that backward-compatibility is a high priority for the next-gen Xbox.

Bond confirmed that the next generation of Xbox devices won’t be bound to the Microsoft Store as part of the announcement.

“This is all about building you a gaming platform that’s always with you, so you can play the games you want across devices anywhere you want, delivering you an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device,” she said.

Microsoft’s marketing for Xbox this year has been focused on redefining the platform as being more than a mere console, emphasizing the ability to play on PC or via Cloud. Recently, the company revealed two Xbox-branded handheld PCs built by ASUS, adding another Xbox form to the line-up. This redefined image of what an Xbox is seems to be a cornerstone of the line’s next generation, going by what Bond said.

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