Next-gen Xbox console shares many similarities with a gaming PC, yet maintains a distinct characteristic.

Ain't no reason for me to drop some serious cash on the next-gen Xbox home console, right? The VR/AR headset Microsoft's been rumored to be cooking up might have stirred something in me, given my sentimental attachment to the original Oculus Rift. But the home console? Forget about it.

With bigger bucks being thrown around for consoles like the Nintendo Switch 2, I wasn't planning on stocking up on a next-gen Xbox. But Microsoft and AMD just happened to announce another round of their hardware partnership for the next generation of Xbox consoles. Xbox President Sarah Bond confirmed it: "We've established a strategic multi-year partnership with AMD to co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices — including our next-generation Xbox consoles in your living room and in your hands."

So what changed my mind about dropping a pretty penny on the next Xbox? Nah, it ain't the hardware. Instead, it's one of those little tweaks Microsoft made to the next-gen Xbox that's got me reconsidering my wallet.

Check out what we know about the next-gen Xbox so far.

AMD Powering the Show — Again!

AMD's been powering Microsoft's consoles for the last couple of generations, so this partnership continuation ain't much of a shocker. The original Xbox, released all the way back in 2001, used a combo of an Intel Pentium III processor and an Nvidia NV2A graphics card, along with just 8GB of internal storage and 64 MB of RAM.

The Xbox 360, launched in 2005, came with a custom 64-bit IBM XCPU (later referred to as "Xenon") and a custom ATI Xenos graphics chip, and offered 512MB of RAM across different 20 GB and 60 GB storage variants. The Xbox One which hit the scene in 2013, was the first Microsoft console with an AMD processor and sported a custom 8-core AMD APU based on the Jaguar architecture and built-in AMD Radeon graphics.

The Xbox Series X and Series S that debuted in 2020 are powered by a custom AMD 8-core Zen 2 APU with built-in AMD Radeon RDNA 2 graphics. The Series S features 8 GB of GDDR6 RAM and the Series X upgrades to 10 GB of memory, offered in various storage configurations ranging from 512 GB to 2 TB.

This week's announcement confirms the next-gen Xbox will be powered by yet again, another custom AMD APU. Based on the anticipated 2027 launch of the next-gen Xbox, the custom AMD APU could be based on AMD's Zen 6 architecture and RDNA 5 graphics architecture. But that's just speculation.

Not the Hardware That's Making Me Change My Mind

I've got a gaming PC, spend my days reviewing laptops, and all of Microsoft's exclusives and first-party titles always make their way over to both Xbox and PC, so why bother spending money on a next-gen Xbox? The thing that's got me reconsidering? nah, it ain't a game-changer, but it's still a compelling sell.

Traditionally, Xbox consoles have been nothing more than well-optimized gaming PCs in a custom ITX case. Heck, you can even install the regular version of Windows 10 and Windows 11 on the XBox One and Series X|S consoles, if you really want to. Now, while the Xboxes have always used a proprietary Xbox System Software OS, it's not that much different from Windows 10 and Windows 11's S-Mode.

But here's the kicker: the idea that the next-gen Xbox won't be locked to a single store is exactly what's getting me interested in picking up another Xbox console. Yeah, sure, my gaming PC offers up access to my Steam library, but sticking my Steam library on an Xbox feels way more reasonable. Plus, the Xbox System Software is way better for gamepad controls than Windows 11.

And let's face it, Windows 11 ain't the greatest Microsoft OS out there. My gaming rig's been around for a while now, and it won't be long before it struggles to run new games on the best settings. So rather than wasting time and money overhauling my gaming PC, I might as well wait and buy a next-gen Xbox.

If I don't want a next-gen Xbox and a living room aesthetic, I can always opt for a quality gaming laptop instead.

When Can I Expect the Next-gen Xbox?

Microsoft is expected to launch the sixth-generation Xbox console some time in the fall of 2027. Gaming hardware tends to make its debut between September and November, although there have been exceptions in the past, especially during mid-cycle refresh phases. So, this release date is subject to change.

The fun part about this next generation of Xbox hardware is that it's not just going to come in home console form. Microsoft isn't launching a proprietary Xbox handheld, but the ROG Xbox Ally X is expected to drop later this year. There are also rumors swirling about an Xbox-branded VR/AR headset, which could see a release as early as September 2025. But those dates are just speculation.

As Xbox President Sarah Bond said in the AMD partnership announcement, "Our vision is for you to play the games you want with the people you want, anywhere you want. That's why we're investing in our next-generation hardware lineup — across console, handheld, PC, cloud, and accessories."