AMD and Microsoft working on next gen cloud gaming console

In a recent CNBC interview, AMD CEO Lisa Su unveiled that the red team is closely collaborating with Microsoft on a future cloud gaming console. This comes as a confirmation for previous rumors regarding an upcoming "Scarlett" Xbox console that could have two versions: the standard compact box model and a more lightweight version connected to a cloud gaming service.

CEO Lisa Su stated that AMD is now partnered with Microsoft “in game consoles,” and thinks the two companies “have a vision of where cloud computing is going.” This new cloud gaming console is rumored to integrate only light processing power, enough for generic tasks like controller input, image signal processing and collision detection (CPU-based tasks mainly), while the geometry and special effects are processed in Microsoft’s cloud through powerful GPUs.

AMD will most likely handle the CPU and GPU components, while Microsoft is ensuring the cloud infrastructure. Apparently, a cloud-based game would have a version running on the local lightweight console and one in the cloud where the GPUs are processing the visuals, while the cloud layer is stitching the two versions to offer a seamless experience.

It is not yet clear if the cloud gaming service would offer only console games, or PC games, as well, like Nvidia’s GeForce Now. If Microsoft manages to offer both PC and console games, this could blur the lines between PC systems and consoles, making it easier for gamers to play the latest titles without spending a fortune on high-end hardware.

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