In September last year, due to the lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, court documents inadvertently revealed Microsoft’s future Xbox console plans and game lineup, showing plans to release the next-generation Xbox game console in 2028. However, recent reports suggest that the launch could come earlier, possibly in 2026.
According to TechPowerup, Intel is pitching a “fully Americanized” solution to Microsoft, hoping that this semi-custom SoC could be used for the next-generation Xbox console, replacing the existing Xbox Series X/S. The key point Intel introduced to Microsoft is that this chip is entirely made in the USA, including the packaging.
Intel’s semi-custom SoC is based on its next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, offering roughly the same capabilities as the solution provided by AMD, and even allowing Microsoft to design any combination of upcoming CPU and GPU architectures, such as Lunar Lake/Panther Lake paired with Battlemage/Celestial. If necessary, it could also integrate the next-generation NPU. Intel believes that the recently launched Meteor Lake has already demonstrated significant advancements in SoC technology.
Intel is no stranger to the gaming console market and has previously provided chips for gaming consoles. Old gamers will remember that the first-generation Xbox used an Intel “Coppermine” Pentium III processor and was equipped with a GeForce 3 dedicated graphics card provided by Nvidia.
Related:
