Next Xbox to feature AMD processor, not compatible with 360 titles

[Rick]

Sources close to Bloomberg report that Microsoft has signed a deal with Advanced Micro Devices to manufacturer processors for its yet to be named, next-generation Xbox "720" console. This confirms previous rumors of an AMD-made "Jaguar" APU which would purportedly ship inside the Xbox 360's successor.

Microsoft's move to AMD's more general-purpose x64 "PC" architecture indicates that existing Xbox 360 games will not be compatible with its next-generation console. The Xbox 360 is fueled by a 64-bit Power PC chip designed by IBM.

One of the reasons cited for the major platform shift to AMD is developers; Microsoft says game studios will have an easier time developing cross-platform games for its Xbox 720 once the switch is made. 

It appears AMD has cornered the console gaming market, finding its way into the biggest-name consoles. The Playstation 4 is slated to house an AMD processor while the Wii U pairs an AMD Radeon GPU with an IBM-made processor. Even Valve's upcoming Steambox is expected to feature an AMD APU. 

AMD stated last year that it would be focusing less on desktop CPUs and more on its APU offerings. The company's recent console pair-ups ostensibly fit into this strategy, allowing AMD to thrive outside the PC market with its integrated solutions.

Investors certainly favored the news: AMD shares rose by 13 percent.

Additionally, Microsoft is planning a May 21 event although Bloomberg's sources note they don't expect Redmond's next-gen console to launch until this summer.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/52188-next-xbox-to-feature-amd-processor-not-compatible-with-360-titles.html

 

[domyz]

No compatibility is a joke, for PS4 and XBOX720.

 

[Jad Chaar]

No compatibility is a joke for now. Then people will begin to understand how large the leap is between current and next gen consoles, and will appreciate the new transition. Plus what is the point of being able to play old games on a new system? Just use the old system.

 

[kuroiei]

Somewhere, at Microsoft headquarters, after the always-on decision, there's a meeting:
-"I've got an idea! Let's shoot BOTH our feet!"

I've got a question - I know the incompatibility between x86 and x64 architectures - as there's no way to run x64 on x86... but isn't the other way around doable? I've got a x64 PC machine and it works like a charm with all the other stuff (including some really old stuff). Is this a decision or is this a architectural restriction? The latter I would understand. Could someone help me with this one?

 

[kuroiei]

No compatibility is a joke for now. Then people will begin to understand how large the leap is between current and next gen consoles, and will appreciate the new transition. Plus what is the point of being able to play old games on a new system? Just use the old system.

I think it's the cause of playing older, good games on a system that currently stand in your living-room, and not in the box under a bed or something. Believe me, there ARE good games that we all like to come back to. And having an AVGN-room like, filled with different consoles is a mess. Besides, what's the problem for NOT having your system able to play a generation older games?

 

[Jad Chaar]

I think it's the cause of playing older, good games on a system that currently stand in your living-room, and not in the box under a bed or something. Believe me, there ARE good games that we all like to come back to. And having an AVGN-room like, filled with different consoles is a mess. Besides, what's the problem for NOT having your system able to play a generation older games?

I dont have a problem with not being able to play them. It is just that it is hard to port an older generation game to run on x86 architecture. They will have to emulate it. Or allow you to download it online. There will most likely be a solution. This isnt official news anyways. It is any ones game.

 

[Guest]

The reason why is the power pc Cpu from the xbox360, has different instruction set .Than the AMD chip they are using this time..AMD using X86 set.
The only other way to be able to play xbox360 games on a new 720 xbox.Would be play them from the cloud. Which Microsoft doesnt own right now..They need buy Onlive! to compete against Sony.

 

[kuroiei]

The reason why is the power pc Cpu from the xbox360, has different instruction set .Than the AMD chip they are using this time..AMD using X86 set.
The only other way to be able to play xbox360 games on a new 720 xbox.Would be play them from the cloud. Which Microsoft doesnt own right now..They need buy Onlive! to compete against Sony.

Thanks for the explanation. So, they're moving from IBM to AMD, and this is the main reason, right?

 

[Jad Chaar]

Thanks for the explanation. So, they're moving from IBM to AMD, and this is the main reason, right?

Not the move from company to company, but instead the change in architecture from x (not really sure) to x86. An x86 CPU is what you have in your PC.

 

[Vrmithrax]

[quote="kuroiei, post: 1295044, member: 309535"I've got a question - I know the incompatibility between x86 and x64 architectures - as there's no way to run x64 on x86... but isn't the other way around doable? I've got a x64 PC machine and it works like a charm with all the other stuff (including some really old stuff). Is this a decision or is this a architectural restriction? The latter I would understand. Could someone help me with this one?[/quote]

The short answer is, it's a question of basic core instruction sets. The PowerPC architecture is actually based on Enhanced RISC (it's even part of the name, PowerPC is really a long acronym: Performance Optimization With Enhanced RISC - Performance Computing). The x64 system you are using now was developed as an enhanced x86 platform, so there is common ancestry and basic code that allows for the x86 backward compatibility.

 

[Chazz]

I'm curious. The PS4 won't be backwards compatible as well. I've yet to read one article highlighting (not just here) that. So why is this news? What's different? Or will the PS4 be backwards compatible?

 

[VitalyT]

Nice play by AMD, scooping all the big orders for their APU-s. And this is Intel taking up for having prices above the competition.

 

[Vrmithrax]

I dont have a problem with not being able to play them. It is just that it is hard to port an older generation game to run on x86 architecture. They will have to emulate it. Or allow you to download it online. There will most likely be a solution. This isnt official news anyways. It is any ones game.

I'm guessing we'll see "remastered" games that have been recompiled for the new platform, available through an online digital delivery system. Similar to how Sony offers old PSX titles on the newer hardware.

 

[Guest]

Power PC was what ran older macs from about 1993 to 2005. Mac software wouldn't run on PC's which ran x86 processors. Same problem with the proposed change for xbox

 

[Jad Chaar]

I'm guessing we'll see "remastered" games that have been recompiled for the new platform, available through an online digital delivery system. Similar to how Sony offers old PSX titles on the newer hardware.

Well, most companies dont really wanna spend money on an old game, only if it was successful like Doom.

 

[howzz1854]

Power PC was what ran older macs from about 1993 to 2005. Mac software wouldn't run on PC's which ran x86 processors. Same problem with the proposed change for xbox

motorola was the chip inside the macs before powerPC came to play in the early 2000's. Motorola dropped out of the race around the time of OS8/9 because they weren't able to keep up with the processing speed race. Apple went with IBM's power PC due to the similar RISC architecture (Reduced Instruction Set). AMD's earlier iteration CPUS K6/K7 share similarities in RISC architecture, but not a complete RISC chip. all the current generation X86 chips like intel and current gen AMD are all CISC based chips (Complex instruction sets). there're both pros and cons in RISC and CISC, if you remember back in the day of AMD Thunderbird VS Netburst, RISC was actually more efficient. but all this is just history, which has nothing to do with the main reason MS shifted to AMD's X86 based architecture, which is to make life easier for programmers to develop games across different platforums. hopefully this means less shittier console ports and better graphics. with cost of game development on the rise, it's increasingly difficult to develop games for both PC and Console. this just makes it cheaper and easier for the devs.

 

[soldier1969]

The whole idea behind the next gen is next gen games, why play your old stuff on the new system. Keep your old system if you want to play those games. To me the next gen is a joke when compared to my current gaming pc (GTX 690,i7 @ 4.5, 2560 x 1600, 512gb SSD)

 

[EEatGDL]

Nice play by AMD, scooping all the big orders for their APU-s. And this is Intel taking up for having prices above the competition.

I own Intel and recommend AMD on notebooks; and I think this is very healthy to the market. I wouldn't want by any means Intel selling there too, AMD deserves to have a bigger profit that hopefully will be invested in more R&D.

 

[GunsAblazin]

Somewhere, at Microsoft headquarters, after the always-on decision, there's a meeting:
-"I've got an idea! Let's shoot BOTH our feet!"

I've got a question - I know the incompatibility between x86 and x64 architectures - as there's no way to run x64 on x86... but isn't the other way around doable? I've got a x64 PC machine and it works like a charm with all the other stuff (including some really old stuff). Is this a decision or is this a architectural restriction? The latter I would understand. Could someone help me with this one?

32-bit software can run on a 64-bit system, but the problem is the New CPU architecture and how games were programed to utilize the hardware and the OS on the system. If any drastic changes were made the game would have to be ported to the new system, or a patch would have to be made. It takes money to do that. They would rather resell it to you.

 

[m4a4]

You would hope that this sucker is powerful enough to emulate without too much of a hassle...

 

[TS-56336]

Let's see, "No internet, no gaming" and a lack of backwards compatibility? Is Microsoft looking for the 720 to fail?

 

[hitech0101]

Happy for amd but no compatability is painful most of games I played on xp not working on win7 now MS doing same **** to xbox.

 

[dennis777]

They don't have compatibility because they will re-release it online so you have to pay and download it again. More money for them!

 

[Burty117]

I will never understand this argument, you can't blame "Mess" on being a problem, all your old games will still be out so you can play them even with a new console, all the space that is being asked is an Xbox 360 sized gap by your TV, not much of an ask really.

No, you do not need to pay for your games again to play them, you just get the old console out and, you know, play them.

If the architecture of the processor has changed then accept the fact that it simply will not be backwards compatible.

If you do want features such as backwards compatibility then go and get a Gamecube, Wii, Wii U and have that feature, just don't moan that not many games are released for your console that are any good... Or get a PC.

 

[scorpian007]

Lack of backwards compatibility (or very little) didn't stop the PS3/360 from being a success