Is Microsoft Planning To Launch A Smaller, Cheaper Xbox One?

Ever since Microsoft launched the Xbox One, the console has been hobbled by its high price. But that could soon change: Microsoft appears to be working on a smaller, lower-cost version of Xbox, according to the LinkedIn profile of an Advanced Micro Devices Inc. employee.

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD makes the processor for the Xbox One and it appears to be developing a second, 20mm version of the main processor found in the eighth-generation device.

The employee's LinkedIn page, which surfaced in an online forum, claims he “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.” The AMD employee has been with the company for four years and serves as the senior SOC physical design manager. International Business Times reached out to that employee for comment and will update this article if we receive any new information.

Currently, the main processor inside Microsoft’s Xbox One is one of its most expensive and intricate parts, with the current version costing the Redmond, Washington-based company around $50 per chip. Reducing the chip size would be an efficient way to reduce production costs for Microsoft.

Producing a smaller, less expensive version of the Xbox One could be a smart move for Microsoft, since its console is struggling to compete with Sony’s PlayStation 4, which has sold 13.5 million units in just less than a year since release. The Xbox One reached buyers nearly one year ago on Nov. 22, and the device has moved around 5 million units.

A Microsoft spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

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