AMD is gearing up to launch its next-gen mobile processor, the Z2 Extreme, in early 2025, marking a significant leap in power efficiency for portable gaming consoles. This exciting development was confirmed during a conversation between AMD and Microsoft representatives with the tech publication Digital Trends.
The Z2 Extreme will follow in the footsteps of AMD’s current Ryzen Z1 and Z1 Extreme chips, which are part of the Phoenix series and provide up to 8 Zen 4 cores and 12 integrated RDNA 3 graphics units. These chips power popular gaming consoles like the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go. While AMD has already introduced the Strix Point (Ryzen AI 300) CPUs with Zen 5 cores and RDNA 3.5 graphics, these are primarily designed for laptops, despite their potential for use in portable consoles due to their configurable TDP range of 15 to 54 watts.
One notable distinction between AMD’s Z-series processors and regular Phoenix chips lies in the absence of an AI engine (NPU) in the former. While the NPU is likely to remain disabled in the upcoming Z2 Extreme, the increasing emphasis on AI integration could potentially change AMD’s approach. Additionally, device manufacturers (OEMs) currently handle driver updates for Z-series processors, but this may shift with the Z2 Extreme’s release.
Rumors suggest that the first consoles to feature the Z2 Extreme could be the next iterations of the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go, both of which currently run on Ryzen Z1 Extreme processors. As anticipation builds, industry insiders expect AMD to officially unveil the Z2 series during CES 2025 in January, setting the stage for a new era of portable gaming power.
Source: