Highlights
- The next-gen Xbox console will reportedly have a strong AI focus.
- The device is rumored to include a dedicated AI chip.
- Some form of Copilot assistant integration is also said to be on the cards for the Xbox Series X/S successor(s).
An established industry insider has shared some new details about the next-gen Xbox console. The newly emerged information suggests that the fifth generation of Xbox devices will have a strong artificial intelligence focus.
Microsoft has previously projected that the tenth generation of consoles will arrive in 2028. That's according to some chat logs between the company's executives unsealed during its legal battle with the FTC over the Activision Blizzard acquisition. It is unclear whether Microsoft is still targeting that launch window, as the logs themselves are over two years old now, originating from May 2022.
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Next-Gen Xbox Console Rumored to Have a Dedicated AI Chip
Regardless of when the company's new consoles hit the market, they may end up debuting with a strong AI focus. That possibility was recently raised by Windows Central's Jez Corden, who relayed a rumor about the next-gen Xbox console featuring a neural processing unit (NPU). Its purported chip dedicated to AI computations will supposedly be manufactured by Qualcomm, as per the same source. The two companies' relationship has been strengthening in recent years, with Microsoft and Qualcomm frequently collaborating on a variety of client-side AI solutions.
Copilot AI Assistant May be Integrated Into Next-Gen Xbox Console
Corden also reports that the next-gen Xbox console may offer native support for Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant. The AI-powered helper was originally unveiled in May 2023, and is currently available across a variety of platforms, including Windows 11 PCs and mobile devices. Copilot has also been integrated into Microsoft 365 Apps and the Edge browser. Bringing it to the next Xbox device(s) would continue that trend, although Corden notes that he's unclear on the specifics of the assistant's purported console integration.
The same insider recently claimed that Microsoft plans to position the next-gen Xbox console as a reference design for original equipment manufacturers. The implication being that the company wants to enable third parties to make their own Xbox-branded hardware. The feasibility of that idea appears somewhat dubious, not least because Microsoft itself is still selling its current-gen consoles at a loss. Given that state of affairs, the only obvious way for OEMs to turn a profit on such devices while still pricing them competitively would be for Microsoft to offer them a cut of digital software sales, which is how the tech giant itself is currently recouping its own console losses.
Regardless, the notion of an AI-focused console does track with Microsoft's past statements on the Xbox Series X/S successor(s). Specifically, the company's executives have repeatedly insisted that the next-gen Xbox line will offer the biggest "technological leap ever" made in a single console generation.
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