Microsoft wants to focus more on AI in the next Xbox. However, the first step will be taken with the Xbox ROG Ally X.
In less than two months, Microsoft and Asus will release the first two Xbox gaming handhelds. Both versions of the Xbox Ally ROG handheld will run on Windows 11.
In addition, work on the next generation of Xbox consoles continues to progress.
AI to take center stage at Xbox
In the latest edition of the official Xbox podcast, Jason Ronald, Vice President for the next Xbox generation, and Jason Beaumont, Vice President for Xbox experiences, talked about the future of the console.
New AI features are set to play a major role in both the next Xbox and the upcoming handheld gaming devices, with the aim of enhancing the player experience.
Microsoft is working closely with AMD to develop chips with improved neural processors. These enable new AI capabilities that are also designed to enhance the gaming experience on the next Xbox console. Game developers will also have access to a framework for integrating AI features into their games.
Jason Ronald confirms this during the podcast:
We are also investing in specialized silicon chips to enable the next generation of AI capabilities that will fundamentally change the gaming experience.
However, both Xbox employees remain tight-lipped about specific details.
However, Microsoft plans to experiment with AI in the Xbox ROG Ally X handheld.
The more powerful of the two handhelds is powered by an AMD Ryzen AI-Z2 Extreme processor, which has a dedicated neural processor and thus achieves a performance of around 50 TOPS.
Good to know: TOPS, or trillions of operations per second, is a performance metric for neural processors. It describes how many operations the processor can perform in one second.
Previous AI features in games have mainly focused on applications such as upscaling. However, Microsoft leaves open in the podcast how developers can use AI to influence gameplay.
Microsoft wants to use AI to improve the experience for players on its consoles and make greater use of it in the next generation. Now we want to hear your opinion. What do you think of the idea of using AI to improve gameplay? Is there anything you would like to see in this regard? Feel free to leave us a comment.
