The Magnus APU rumored to be powering the Xbox next-generation system will provide, with its unique design, a lot of flexibility that will allow Microsoft to scale an entire stack of systems that are more likely to compete with pre-built PCs rather than the PlayStation 6 and other traditional consoles.
In the latest episode of their weekly podcast, the tech experts at Digital Foundry went over the recently leaked Magnus APU said to power the next-generation Xbox, highlighting how different it is from the APUs powering the past and current generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles, not only in terms of size, but also in terms of design. Not only does this design, featuring separate CPU and GPU dies, steps away from the traditional monolithic design that balances power with costs, it will also be more powerful than anything we have seen so far, and supports a potential iterative approach to console design, giving Microsoft the ability to mix dies for more frequent upgrades than in traditional console cycles. This design could also be carried across multiple generations, falling in line with a "phases" approach, as opposed to the current "generations" approach, that Microsoft seems to be aiming for, considering recent developments.
Although the Xbox next-generation system's Magnus APU looks expensive, its flexibility will potentially also impact the gaming PC market, Digital Fundry speculates. From AMD's point of view, being able to ship an entire Xbox PC with this condensed, likely cheaper design could be huge, allowing them to gain a bigger share in the market and provide a cheaper alternative to pre-built PCs, which are far from being affordable. As such, there's a real possibility that the concept of the "console war" between Sony and Microsoft will change forever, as the Xbox next-generation systems will likely compete with pre-built gaming PCs, rather than the PlayStation 6.
With Microsoft's current approach of turning everything into an Xbox, a design like that of the Magnus APU seems to fall almost perfectly in line with the company's current strategy. As the Xbox next-generation system is reportedly launching sooner than the PlayStation 6, it will likely not take much longer to know how the flexibility afforded by the APU will change the future of gaming systems.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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