Next-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles may have something surprising in common — but is that a good thing? – 1v1 Video Chat & LIve Streaming & Influencer Subscription

Laptop Mag
Laptop Mag

Search Laptop Mag

View Profile

Ultimate Laptop Guide

Business Laptops

Gaming Laptops

Chromebooks

2-in-1 Laptops

Nintendo Switch 2 review

Best business laptops
Best laptop deals
Best laptops

You may like

Sony’s rumored plan to “downgrade” PS5 performance might actually be genius

AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme just brought AI to handhelds — should the competition be worried?

Rumored Nvidia APU is said to perform on par with the best mid-range GPU — Will gaming handhelds finally get the power they deserve?

Is this an indicator that the console wars are finally over? Will the next console you buy be less about specs and hardware, and more about design and game collection? And is all this AMD hardware actually a good thing for gamers?

Let’s take a look.
AMD custom APUs are powering the next generation Xbox and PlayStation

(Image credit: Microsoft/Sony)
Despite sounding unlikely, Xbox and Sony’s next-gen consoles won’t be the first to share a link in being powered by custom AMD APUs.
In 2013, both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 were powered by AMD’s Jaguar CPU architecture.

Get The Snapshot, our free newsletter on the future of computing
Sign up to receive The Snapshot, a free special dispatch from Laptop Mag, in your inbox.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
And, in 2020, both the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 consoles were powered by custom hardware with AMD’s Zen 2 architecture.
Clearly, the hardware similarities between Xbox and PlayStation haven’t ended the console wars so far, meaning it’s likely the console tribalism will continue even up to and beyond 2027.
After all, having the same hardware doesn’t make the consoles equal in terms of performance, user interface, or game library. Both Xbox and Sony are still very much looking to go head-to-head in 2027, and keen for one of them to come out the victor, regardless of how much it may sound like the two are aiming for a hardware tie.
AMD’s Ryzen Z series powers most gaming handhelds

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)
AMD’s gaming dominance isn’t just in consoles. AMD’s Ryzen Z series CPUs power most handheld gaming PCs, from our beloved Asus ROG Ally X to the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and upcoming Xbox handhelds.
In fact, the MSI Claw 8 is even getting an AMD variant with the Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, making it a less unique handheld in the process.
Instead of offering a bevy of choices between various systems, the handheld gaming PC market is more like a palette swap. Choose your preferred color/aesthetic, and call it a day.
Of course, there are some other differences in optimization between the various handhelds, but with just the MSI Claw, MSI Claw 7 AI+, and MSI Claw 8 AI+ offering Intel CPUs, the handheld market feels very one-note.
Even in the more typical laptop and desktop PC space, AMD’s X3D CPUs have taken over. At least as far as sales go. Things are a bit less grim for Intel on the laptop side, since there aren’t as many laptops offering AMD CPUs, making a full CPU comparison difficult.
However, AMD’s dominance isn’t as cut and dry when looking at general laptop performance.
Is all this hardware homogeneity good for the gaming market?

(Image credit: Asus)
On the one hand, having fewer hardware versions to optimize for makes things easier for game developers.
However, we’re coming up on the third generation of home consoles with AMD APUs, and we still get games that are broken or nearly unplayable at launch. So clearly, the benefits there are not enough to counteract the gaming industry’s development crunch issues.
While AMD fans are, naturally, excited to see their brand dominate the market… being at the top isn’t always for the best. As competition decreases, advancements in tech tend to stagnate.
Ultimately, complacency is the death of innovation.
Intel’s proven that pretty handily over the last several years, and is now playing catch-up on the PC side. Team Blue has had some recent successes, but there’s still a way to go.
We can only hope AMD continues to see Intel and Nvidia as worthy competition, so gamers don’t suffer from sheer entropy.
More from Laptop Mag

AI is making your games better — a new Steam tool convinced me to stop hating GPU upscaling.
Steam users are flocking back to this once-hated game in huge numbers — and it’s only $4
GeForce RTX 5050 brings next-gen gaming to the masses with Blackwell laptops starting at $999

Today’s best AMD hardware deals

Razer Blade 16 (2025)

£3,099.99View
See all prices

Asus Zenbook S16 UM5606

£1,129View
See all prices

Asus ROG Ally X

See all prices

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

Madeline Ricchiuto

Staff Writer

A former lab gremlin for Tom’s Guide, Laptop Mag, Tom’s Hardware, and TechRadar; Madeline has escaped the labs to join Laptop Mag as a Staff Writer. With over a decade of experience writing about tech and gaming, she may actually know a thing or two. Sometimes. When she isn’t writing about the latest laptops and AI software, Madeline likes to throw herself into the ocean as a PADI scuba diving instructor and underwater photography enthusiast.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Sony’s rumored plan to “downgrade” PS5 performance might actually be genius

AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme just brought AI to handhelds — should the competition be worried?

Rumored Nvidia APU is said to perform on par with the best mid-range GPU — Will gaming handhelds finally get the power they deserve?

Nintendo doesn’t make the fastest handhelds, but people won’t trade ‘Palworld’ for ‘Pokémon’

Microsoft just killed its biggest Xbox project, but here’s why it’s brilliant

AMD’s press conference won Computex 2025

Latest in Gaming

Steam users are flocking back to this once-hated game in huge numbers — and it’s only $4

ROG Ally X vs. Xbox Ally X: Real differences or clever rebranding?

The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition is out now for $399, but it won’t be around for long

The Xbox Meta Quest 3S is baffling gamers, but the answer is right in front of them

Steam’s latest tool shows just how much AI is making your games better

ROG Xbox Ally X: Everything we know about Microsoft and Asus’ next-gen Windows handheld gaming PC

Latest in News

GeForce RTX 5050 brings next-gen gaming to the masses with Blackwell laptops starting at $999

Microsoft just threw Windows 10 users a free lifeline — but it could test your loyalty

Samsung’s next Unpacked is official, and an “Ultra” foldable might be coming

Steam users are flocking back to this once-hated game in huge numbers — and it’s only $4

The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition is out now for $399, but it won’t be around for long

The Xbox Meta Quest 3S is baffling gamers, but the answer is right in front of them