In addition to the PS5 Pro, gamers are also very interested in the future of the next generation consoles, especially the PS6 and of course the next Xbox, which is revealing some details.
Microsoft’s next Xbox e is already generating interest, but isn’t expected for a few years. This shows that manufacturers are planning well in advance. In this regard, details are emerging about what could be the central element of the American giant’s future console. With a clever plan to overtake its main competitor Sony.
An Xbox has the edge to overtake the PS6, but…
It is important to take the following information with caution as it remains at the level of rumors. According to a recent video from RedGamingTech, a popular hardware YouTuber, the release schedule for Microsoft’s next Xbox has changed significantly since the FTC leaked documents earlier this year. According to their sources, the console would be launched in 2026 and would be equipped with a Zen 5 processor, contrary to what was stated in the documents, which spoke of a Zen 6 CPU. The sixth iteration of Zen architecture would not be ready at this date.
The reason why Microsoft plans to launch the next generation of Xbox before the PlayStation 6 is apparently due to its desire to set trends for the next generation of consoles, as it successfully did with the Xbox 360 generation. This strategy is less powerful than the competition would make the c onsole cheaper than the PlayStation 6 and allow Microsoft to offer a more efficient hardware version later. It’s not yet clear whether Microsoft will offer two models of its next console, but rumor has it that a cloud gaming-focused model would cover that market segment, which would make sense given the company’s focus on Xbox Game Pass and cloud gaming.
Zen 5, Zen 6, what does it all mean?
The term Zen refers to a series of processor architectures developed by AMD, a company known in the technology world for its processors and graphics cards. To put it simply, the architecture of a processor is like the design blueprint that defines how it works and processes information.
Each generation of Zen architecture brings improvements over the previous one, be it in terms of speed, power efficiency, or the ability to handle multiple tasks at once. Currently, the architecture dominating AMD in 2023 is Zen 4. Zen 5, which would power the next Xbox console, is expected to arrive in 2024 (first half of the year) and Zen 6 somewhere between 2025 and 2026. Zen 6 is expected to be 3nm use 2nm process technologies aiming for a 10 percent increase in IPC (Instructions Per Cycle) compared to Zen 5.
IPC is a measure of a processor’s performance. It indicates the average number of instructions a processor can execute per clock cycle. A 10% increase means Zen 6 could execute 10% more instructions per clock cycle compared to its predecessor, Zen 5. This results in better performance as the processor can complete more tasks in the same time interval.
And compared to current consoles and the future PS6?
Here is a summary of the different architectures depending on the console:
- The Xbox Series X is powered by a custom processor that uses AMD’s Zen 2 architecture.
- The PS5 is based on the same principle. A custom processor architecture based on AMD’s Zen 2 architecture
- The PS5 Pro, although very mysterious, would be based on a Zen 4 architecture according to the latest rumors. Others, however, always mention a Zen 2 architecture.
- The next next generation Xbox console would therefore be in Zen 5
- The PS6 would benefit from a longer development time with a Zen 6 architecture.
