More Windows gaming consoles: AMD Magnus APU of Xbox Helix to be available in Windows machines from OEMs like Asus

As the Xbox Series X | S and the Sony PlayStation 5 consoles enter the final phase of their lifecycle, all eyes are now squarely fixed on what the next-gen Xbox Project Helix and Sony PlayStation 6 have in store for gamers. We already know that both the Xbox Helix and the Sony PS6 will rely on AMD APUs. Leaks and rumors have also claimed that we will see a portable next-gen Xbox as well as a PS6 Portable.

Leaving the PS6 aside, the case of the next-gen Xbox Helix is quite interesting, as a recent leak from KeplerL2 suggested that the Magnus APU of the Xbox Helix is not customized. This has pretty big implications for other OEMs like Asus, MSI, Lenovo, etc., who are in the Windows gaming console space.

Answering a question on the NeoGaf forums, KeplerL2 claims that the Xbox Helix Magnus APU won’t be sold directly to consumers. However, because it is not a customized APU, you will be able to buy gaming consoles/Helix machines from OEMs like Asus and MSI.

In other words, with the release of Project Helix, Microsoft may be initiating a whole new ecosystem of Windows gaming consoles. This ties directly into the full-screen Xbox experience on Windows, which essentially transforms any PC into a home console with a controller-friendly UI.

This will also solve another issue with the next-gen consoles that is starting to scare many: Price. We have seen various reports claim that the next-gen Project Helix is going to be a premium console with a possible price of more than $1,000. With the possible availability of the Magnus APU to OEMs like Asus, we could see consoles with different hardware configurations at different price points.

For instance, we might even see a Windows console from, let's say, MSI with a cut-down Magnus APU as a competitor to the Valve Steam Machine.

So, KeplerL2’s assertion that the AMD Magnus APU will also be available on OEM Helix machines is fantastic news. More choice is almost always a good thing for the end consumer.

Buy the Asus ROG Xbox Ally | Xbox Series S on Amazon