Next-gen Xbox with AMD Magnus: 3 nm dual-die APU, RDNA 5, Zen 6

New details about the next generation of Xbox have surfaced, pointing to an AMD Magnus chip built on a 3 nm process. The source is the Moore’s Law Is Dead podcast, which outlined the design and the performance targets Microsoft is reportedly aiming for.

According to the leak, Xbox Magnus centers on a dual-die architecture with a combined die area exceeding 400 mm²—described as the largest APU ever developed for a game console. One die is said to handle the CPU, a neural block, and I/O, while the other is dedicated to RDNA 5 graphics and the memory controller.

The GPU reportedly includes 70 RDNA 5 compute units, 68 of which are active, and 24 MB of L2 cache—nearly five times what the Xbox Series X offers. This layout is said to improve ray tracing performance and deliver steadier frame rates when paired with GDDR7 memory.

On the CPU side, the design combines three high-performance Zen 6 cores with eight efficiency-focused Zen 6C cores optimized for gaming workloads. The system is expected to support up to 48 GB of unified memory, with 16 GB allocated to video memory.

There’s also a notable push on the AI front. The built-in NPU is described as capable of up to 110 TOPS at 6 W, intended to accelerate AI features and tie into Windows.

Power consumption is estimated at 250–350 W, which would necessitate a new approach to cooling and power delivery—an indication that Microsoft may be prioritizing headroom and stability as much as raw speed.

Production of Xbox Magnus is expected to begin by 2027, around the same time as the launch of PlayStation 6 Orion.

Early projections suggest the new Xbox could outperform PS6 by 15–30%, and by up to 35% when using faster GDDR7. The projected price range of $1,000–$1,500 would place it closer to premium gaming PCs than to traditional consoles, a positioning that signals an aggressive bet on uncompromised performance.