This story is based off of a post on Eurogamer, who have been tracking postings on the Beyond3D forums that are potentially related to the development of a cheaper, slimmer Xbox One.
Currently the XBOne and PS4 both use 28nm chip technology, and this LinkedIn resume information by senior manager at AMD Daniel McConnell contains information related to the development of a newer, more streamlined 20nm SOC or “System on a Chip” for the XBOne:
“Successfully planned and executed the first APU for Microsoft’s XBOX One Game Console in 28nm technology and a cost-reduced derivative in 20nm technology”
“Assembled and grew two cross-site execution teams for 2 successive XBOX APU revisions. This included developing key technical leads into senior positions allowing for successful execution and future team expansion to handle more SOCs.”
Having the system run on 20nm architecture would allow for the building of smaller consoles and more effective cooling solutions.
What’s more, Microsoft is looking to hire an electrical engineer (also found on Beyond3D), who can contribute to the “development of the memory subsystem” and evaluating “different solution options for performance, functionality, stability, cost and risk for the memory subsystem within the platform.”
All signs point to the development of a much smaller and more energy-efficient Xbox One.
Would making a cheaper, slimmer Xbox One entice you to pick one up? Let us know in the comments.
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