"In this next chapter with Xbox, we’re not just pushing pixels. We’re reimagining what’s possible" — AMD comments on its partnership with Microsoft

It's only been a couple of days since our own Jez Corden shared an exclusive report regarding a new multi-year partnership between Xbox and AMD for first-party hardware.

Part of the official announcement from Xbox President Sarah Bond involved news regarding next-gen devices, including consoles "in your living room and in your hands." With Xbox's first-party handheld sidelined in lieu of an Xbox Ally handheld made in partnership with ASUS, there were fears that it was cancelled for good. With Microsoft's big AMD partnership, that no longer seems to be the case.

Today, to follow up on the June 17 partnership announcement from Xbox, AMD released a video with Chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su explaining that AMD is far from content with settling back on its existing chip lineup.

AMD & Xbox | Advancing the Future of Gaming - YouTube

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Dr. Su is quoted as saying:

"Moving forward, AMD will go beyond building custom chips for Xbox consoles to designing a full roadmap of gaming-optimized chips. Combining the power of Ryzen and Radeon for consoles, handhelds, PCs, and the cloud."

There have been warranted fears from long-time Xbox supporters regarding backward compatibility, especially as Xbox as we know it becomes more like a PC. The Xbox Ally from ASUS, after all, runs Windows 11, making it incompatible with most Xbox console games that don't support Xbox Play Anywhere.

Su puts those fears to rest in the recent video, saying that AMD is "doing it all with backwards compatibility so gamers can access their favorite titles across platforms, delivering on a promise to both gamers and developers."

It wouldn't be a proper 2025 announcement without some mention of AI, and indeed, Dr. Su delivers, saying:

"Together, we are building a vibrant, open ecosystem that delivers the next generation of graphics and immersive gameplay powered by AI that includes new foundational models to accelerate the state of the art in rendering."

Dr. Su wraps things up by once again reiterating Xbox's goal to create more than just one next-gen console:

"From console to cloud to handheld, AMD and Microsoft are building the future of immersive gaming. We are so excited to be working with Microsoft to bring all of this tech to gamers everywhere."

New AMD chips are on the way, but what will they look like?

Dr. Su doesn't go into much detail about the new AMD chips that will power Xbox devices, but I can make some assumptions based on Team Red's current trajectory.

If I'm betting, I'd put my money on an evolution of the current AMD Ryzen Z1 and Z2 series APUs that are already powering our favorite gaming handhelds.

👉 APU, CPU, and GPU — What are the differences?

These chips, which include a processor and integrated graphics, are ideal for gaming handhelds thanks to their power efficiency and respectable performance. Of course, a full console is going to need something that's more powerful, and for the backward compatibility part of the equation, special work will also need to be done.

Now, AMD's Jack Huynh has also weighed in on X, saying that we could even see things like Xbox's Quick Resume feature coming to these types of devices, which would be a true feat.

"In this next chapter with Xbox, we’re not just pushing pixels. We’re reimagining what’s possible when silicon, software, and AI come together — unlocking new levels of fidelity, fluidity, and freedom."

It's going to be very interesting to see what AMD produces in the coming years as it gets comfortable with its new Xbox partnership. In any case, Dr. Su's comments should give Xbox gamers a bit of peace of mind as to what the future holds. It sounds increasingly as if there will be a plurality of Xbox-style devices on offer in the coming years, both from Xbox and Microsoft's traditional Windows OEM partners.

What do you think about Dr. Lisa Su's comments in this latest video from AMD? Are you optimistic about the future of Xbox and the platform's lofty goals? Let me know in the comments section below!