Qualcomm Job Listing Hints That the...

Microsoft’s new Xbox product might run on an ARM-based Snapdragon processor. A recent job listing by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. reveals that the company is hiring talent to support “sell-in activities for the next generation of Surface and Xbox products built on Snapdragon solutions.”

As per the job description, Qualcomm is hiring a “Director, Sales – Surface” in Redmond, WA, USA, to work on next-gen Xbox hardware with “Snapdragon solutions.” The person would also be responsible for helping “define the next generation Surface and Xbox portfolios.”

If the speculations hold true, this would make a major shift from Microsoft’s existing AMD x86-based consoles. The ARM platform, known for its energy efficiency, could be a strong fit for a handheld gaming device. However, the move could create some serious challenges in terms of backwards compatibility, as most current Xbox games are built for x86 architecture. And this powers both the Xbox One and the Xbox Series X|S.

While the language seems to hint at new Xbox hardware using an ARM-based Snapdragon processor, industry insider Jez Corden’s source confirms otherwise. According to a report by Windows Central, the next-gen Xbox consoles will not sport Qualcomm chips. As per his sources, Microsoft still plans to stick with the x86 architecture for Xbox systems to have compatibility with your current library as much as possible. Running x86-based games on ARM would require a level of emulation that Snapdragon processors currently can’t handle efficiently.

So far, Microsoft has not issued any official statement on its next-gen hardware plans, but it’s clear that a handheld device is in the works. Microsoft is also working on another handheld gaming device called Project Kennan. It’s said to be similar to the Steam Deck. It will run Windows and feature an interface similar to Microsoft’s existing platforms. The device is expected to launch this year and is reportedly being developed with Asus.