Microsoft is hard at work on the follow-up to its Series X console and whispers suggest it could outperform all current models, including Sony's powerful PlayStation 5 Pro. The last console from Microsoft launched back in 2020, so many have been eagerly awaiting any news about what the Xbox team has up its sleeve.
A lot has changed in the five years since the launch of the Xbox Series X and Series S, and we'd expect to see a serious technological leap with the arrival of this new powerhouse console from Microsoft.
According to YouTuber Moore's Law is Dead, the upcoming Xbox could incorporate AMD's RDNA 5 graphics processor and Zen 6 central processor. AMD's RDNA 5 is the codename for the next-generation graphics processing unit (GPU), and Zen 6 refers to a new central processing unit (CPU).
For those unfamiliar with these specifications, the GPU handles all the visual elements you see on screen, while the CPU manages everything else. The combination of these next-generation components could deliver twice the viewing and operational capabilities of Sony's premium PS5 offering.
This means you'll be able to experience games at 120 frames per second in native 4K resolution, creating incredibly smooth gameplay at the highest visual quality. The console's reported specifications include 68 compute units, these are the building blocks that process graphics calculations in parallel.
The leaked information also indicates this system might match the performance of Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5080, one of the most powerful graphics cards available for gaming PCs. The system will allegedly utilise a 192-bit GDDR7 memory bus, which determines how quickly data moves between the graphics processor and memory. Think of it as a motorway for information - the wider it is, the more data can flow simultaneously.
AMD — headquartered in Santa Clara, California — is the brains behind the chipsets that'll power whatever the Xbox team are working on next, scheduled to launch late next year or sometime in 2027
|AMD PRESS OFFICE
Of course, the exact specs of the new chip are just rumours for now, but Xbox Gaming Devices & Ecosystem Vice President Jason Ronald recently spoke on the official Xbox Podcast about the future of the brand and confirmed that AMD would continue to provide silicon for new hardware.
Mr Ronald said: "Together with AMD, we're designing dedicated silicon and hardware to enable the next generation of gaming experiences. That means we're investing deeply into the next generation of rendering technologies, such as neural rendering, which will bring a new level of fidelity to the quality of the games that you're having. It's really about deepening the immersion between you and the gameplay experience that you have.
"We're also investing into dedicated silicon to enable the next generation of AI capabilities, which will be transformative in how you actually experience the gameplay. It also provides a new surface that developers can take advantage of to deliver experiences that they've never been able to deliver before."
He added: "When I think about it, this really reminds me of the early days of the original Xbox. We had a vision of where console gaming could go, and we believed in this notion of being able to connect gamers all across the world. Ultimately that became Xbox LIVE, but from a hardware perspective we knew early on that we had to invest in things like a hard drive and ethernet port.
"We believed in our vision, and for us it's really about betting on the future as opposed to betting against the future. We're really focused on where players are going and where the industry is going, and we want to deliver the right platform to allow developers to deliver on their creative vision."
The next-generation console from Microsoft will supersede the Xbox Series X, which launched almost five years ago
| MICROSOFT PRESS OFFICEYour future Xbox might also contain 32GB of RAM — double what current consoles offer. This extra memory would help maintain those impressive frame rates while running complex modern games.
Carl Ledbetter, Microsoft's Partner Head of Design, has shared reflections on LinkedIn that suggest you're witnessing the conclusion of the current Xbox generation.
In his post, he discussed the development journey of the Series X and S consoles, describing how they were created to "empower people to play and connect with others".
He explained that the Series X was designed to provide exceptional power while fitting naturally into your living space, whereas the Series S offered a more compact and affordable option without sacrificing performance. The design philosophy he called "Intelligent Geometry" focused on creating products with precise, purposeful forms.
While remaining deliberately ambiguous about specifics, Mr. Ledbetter expressed enthusiasm for upcoming projects, stating he's "excited and inspired by what is ahead of us".
You might get your hands on this powerful machine between late 2026 and 2027, according to the leaked timeline. This represents an earlier arrival than previous speculation, which had pointed towards a 2028 release date.
Your wallet should be prepared for an estimated price between $500 – $600, which equates to roughly £370 – £450. Although if the recent pricing trends seen with the PS5 Pro and Nintendo Switch 2 console are anything to go by, the technological improvements built into the next Xbox could push this rumoured price tag even higher.
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If you've built up an extensive game collection from prior consoles, Microsoft's reported backwards compatibility plans suggest you'll be able to transfer your entire library to the new system. This seamless transition would let you continue enjoying your existing titles alongside next-generation games.
The inclusion of a disc drive remains uncertain, which could affect how you access physical game collections in the future.
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