Rumors surrounding Sony and Microsoft’s next gaming consoles indicate both will use AMD’s next generation of graphics. AMD has yet to confirm a name for its RDNA 4 successor, but there are a few floating around, such as UDNA, RDNA 5, and possibly even Radeon RX 10000. The latter would likely only happen should NVIDIA continue with its current naming convention and AMD follow. Still, even then, these particular naming conventions are usually reserved for graphics card GPUs and not the custom APUs used in console gaming systems.
In any case, well-known AMD information leaker Kepler has once again been posting on NeoGaf about what could be in the works, and the latest indicates that both the next Xbox, possibly being called Series 2, and PlayStation 6 will use AMD’s latest graphics when they release. Kepler shared several other details (1, 2, 3) on NeoGaf and X regarding potential chip configurations for both console manufacturers.
Current rumor breakdown:
- UDNA claim for both consoles: “The PS6 and next gen Xbox both use UDNA for GPU arch.”
- When asked about a release date for either: “Both are likely 2027, but I do know (and other people like HeisenbergFX4 have mentioned it too) that Microsoft wants to get ahead of PS6 so 2026 could be possible, specially given they’re releasing all their big titles next year (Halo CE Remake, Forza Horizon 6, Gears of War E-Day)”.
- Regarding manufacturer-specific customizations: “MS/Sony vastly overstate the degree of customizations they make, most of the time it’s re-adding features that AMD removed in recent architectures to enable backwards compatibility or removing features they don’t use. In terms of actual CPU or GPU performance it’s 99% AMD’s work that matter.”
- Performance gains over RNDA4: “Probably 20%-ish for raster perf/CU and around 2x for RT/AI perf.”
- If either will feature 3D V-Cache: “No”
- Clarification regarding raytracing performance uptick: “2x RT perf doesn’t mean that FPS is doubled, it means that the RT portion of a frametime is halved.”
Microsoft officially confirmed renewing its partnership with AMD last week for its Xbox consoles. Microsoft has recently also entered the gaming handheld market via a partnership with ASUS, which will be the first to get a product to market very soon, while Microsoft continues to align its internal resources for further development of an updated Xbox/Windows app. Microsoft has, for now, paused development of its own handheld while more work is being done on the software side to assist other potential manufacturers who may decide to make an Xbox gaming handheld.
On the other side of the fence is Sony, which has said little to nothing about the PlayStation 6 but is likely to retain its partnership with AMD as well. While NVIDIA, which provides custom chips to Nintendo for its Switch consoles, has mentioned courting Sony and Microsoft to use its graphics for future consoles, it’s unlikely Sony would switch given the added challenges in supporting backwards compatibility for previous-gen games, something gamers are keen to want with any new console. Both console makers have used NVIDIA for previous generations, but have been working with AMD for more than a decade now. Sony is also said to be working on another gaming handheld as well, and similar to Microsoft’s, will reportedly further close the gap between home consoles and mobile devices as both companies eye the successes of the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck.
Discussion (19 replies)
Join Discussion →Shocker. Also... I don't think I'm buying a PS6 / Xbox XXX..........my PS5 collects dust and mostly either plays PS4 games or 4KUHD blurays. My PC gets more use, but since I can't seem to get away from Civ V, CPU and GPU seem less important. I don't know why I upgraded from 1080ti to 4070, nothing I play really needs them. Except Indiana Jones which I can't play bc it makes me want to puke with all the headbob motion sickness.
Also also... exclusives this gen have been pretty thin. You could pretty much have anything xbox/pc/ps and play the same games.
Agree. I had a PS4, then switched to XB1X because the PS5 was virtually unattainable when I was looking to upgrade.
I had a decent library on the PS4, it got some decent use. I bought exactly 1 game on the Xbox, haven't exactly missed anything exclusive on the PS5 either. The only reason I keep the XB around is to have the BluRay player, and I've got like 4 UHD BD titles... two of which have sat in the wrapper since Christmas 2024 unopened waiting on us to have a movie night and watch them.
So yeah, next gen... not too excited right now.
Its not much of a rumor as its the next logical step.
Waiting for claims that they will be faster than the RTX5090
Xbox exclusives are going the way of the Dodo and more and more Sony exclusives are coming to PC.
I think both are more concerned on how to make a next-gen console/mobile hybrid at this point. I have more doubts about how much of a increase in hardware performance they are focused on vs now, and instead are trying to figure out a bridge with improvement but also the mobile aspect. It is possible this next gen will be the last to have a plug-in only option.
As far as exclusives, MS has mostly chucked it out the window, but both will focus on time-limited releases as suits their needs. I don't see Sony changing in this respect anytime soon but I could easily be wrong.
I've had at least one console every generation since the Atari 2600, and I think this current generation will be the first time I don't get any of the consoles. No PS5 or XBSX. Cuz I can play everything on PC. I've wanted things to be this way for a very long time now.
I've been gaming since the 2nd generation of consoles, and this has been my dream for ages. I f*cking hate exclusives. I should be able to play any game on the platform I deem is best for that game (which to me will almost always be PC). All games should be available for all platforms.
And this makes me very happy.
I never would have bought a PS4 if I had known most of the games I wanted to play on it would eventually end up on PC.
The last console generation I was heavily invested in was 7th-gen. I had all 3 consoles but I focused the most on my X360. I practically lived on the thing. That was the last console I spent a great deal of time on. Every generation after that has been less and less interesting to me. PC has always been my focus, but I started out on consoles and used to still mess with them a lot. But that hasn't been true for a long time now. The next consoles I buy will most likely be old ones (like I still need to get a Turbo Duo, and I need to replace some of my broken ones like PS2 and SNES/SFC). But after 8th-gen no I don't think I will be buying any more consoles. At least I hope that ends up being the case.
Same, but if I also knew some games will take 5 years to get to PC, I'd have bought it anyway.
I don't regret buying it, as I could get out of it at a good price at the tail end of the lockdown induced demand. I almost got paid more for it in 2022 December, than I paid for it five years earlier new. Of course there was inflation but not this out of control yet.
Probably around 4080 or 5070 ti
I understand you but I disagree, exclusives are what's needed to sell your platform and need to be good in order to do so, one of the main reasons that Sony is kicking MS ass is due to MS lacking severly in this area and it's what's keeping Nintendo alive.
Unfortunatelly the amount of exclusives is already pretty small and mostly timed these days so it does not matter much anymore but still it adds to brand recognition
Those platforms should be competing on accessibility, price, and features, not exclusives.
They always say they are selling hardware at a loss or at no profit. If that is actually true then they make more money on people who play would be exclusives on PC. They might even be in the red on people like me who used to buy consoles for a handful of exclusives and never play anything else on them.
So why not turn a loose - loose situation into a win - win and do away with exclusives completely?
I think XBOX ruined its image with the XBONE and never fully recovered from it, and the two tiered console generation they are pushing is not helping things either. It makes development difficult by forcing devs to support the garbage tier S, and its also confusing customers.
As for Nintendo I think their buyers are not reasoned actors but brand fanatics showing borderline cult behavior. They don't base their buying decision on any objective reasoned pros and cons of the competing platforms.
It's all about the games. No one really cares about hardware specs. And Nintendo doesn't let other platforms play their games.
Yes, but not because they particularly fond of those specific games, but because there is nintendo branding on them. There are some sony fans like this too, but at nintendo I think they make up the majority.
You may not be fond of those games, but I couldn't presume to know if ~they~ are fond of them or not. I assume so, because they keep throwing money at them.
Fond covers a broad spectrum - doesn't necessarily mean they have to be good games. Some people are fond of them because of nostalgia, or because their friends play, or because it's trendy, or whatever. And ultimately, it is their money, they can spend it however they want to, even if they aren't fond of the games.
I know I'm guilty of occasionally buying a game not because I like it, or even intend to play it, but because I want to support the developer or the genre.
you mean "let" :rolleyes: ;)
Well, that's exactly it. I refuse to believe anyone would support nintendo if they were acting reasonably, with all the anti-fan crap they pull.
My point was that it's not worth comparing nintendo with sony or xbox, because their buyers are making an emotional choice rather than a reasoned one. This is why nintendo can get away with sub-standard HW, sub standard ports, and imo sub-standard exclusives.