In one fell swoop, AMD's Lisa Su just provided comfort to expectant Steam Machine players and Xbox fans alike. According to the CEO, "Valve is on track to begin shipping its AMD-powered Steam Machine early this year," and the chip-maker says it's ready to support Microsoft with a console launch in 2027.
I'll admit, I wasn't expecting any Steam Machine release date or next-gen Xbox details to emerge during AMD's latest earnings call. Yet, Su has helped quash the idea that Valve might ditch its "early 2026" launch plans, so there's a good chance the tiny gaming PC will show up before the summer (via GamesBeat). Better still, it could even have an Xbox console rival as soon as next year, as the AMD boss says "development of Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox featuring an AMD semi-custom SoC is progressing well to support a launch in 2027.”
That's admittedly a very wordy claim about the next Xbox, one that's referencing AMD's involvement in the console's development. Essentially, while Su is alluding to something happening next year, the statement could simply mean the chipmaker will be ready to provide the semi-custom APU. That said, the CEO also references the fact that the Series X and PS5 are now in their seventh year, implying that it's time for a generational refresh.
If anything, the fact that we're about to get a 4K box that acts like a console, but can tap into Valve's wealth of PC games, could make next-gen consoles in 2027 a reality. You could say it's more likely that Microsoft will be first out the door with a new system, given that it hasn't released a rival to the PS5 Pro, but the tech giant's gaming strategy has changed dramatically now that it says "this is an Xbox" while pointing at everything.
The existence of collaborative devices like the ROG Xbox Ally X could also suggest that we'll get an Xbox that's more like Valve's Steam Machine. Whether that means the Series S successor will be a cuboid with, god forbid, Windows 11 as an operating system and a semi-customizable design in terms of RAM and SSD, remains to be seen. But, if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that Microsoft will have to tread the line between console and PC to carefully challenge the storefront monolith's bold new hardware.
As for when a would-be PS6 might show up on the battlefield, rumors are currently pointing towards 2028. Sony is known for releasing systems slightly later, with the PS3 and Xbox 360 gap serving as a good example, but with whispers suggesting it'll also re-enter the best gaming handheld race with what I've been playfully calling a PS Vita 2, the next generation of consoles will be anything but ordinary.
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