Original Xbox Ditched AMD For Intel At The Very Last Minute

When the first Xbox console was disclosed on phase again in 2001, it was introduced that it was packing an Intel CPU. This experienced been a last-moment selection on Microsoft’s part so very last-moment, in simple fact, that in accordance to the “Father of the Xbox” Seamus Blackley AMD engineers have been sitting down in the entrance row of the console’s debut.

Blackley, who is generally great for fascinating stories all around the console’s improvement and launch, shared an additional earlier now. In a collection of tweets, he tells the story of the console’s 2001 start showcase:

(Notice: Lisa Su is the present President and CEO of AMD, but wasn’t with the corporation at the time of the Xbox’s start. “Andy” was Andrew Grove, the CEO of Intel at the time, while “Bill” is Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates).

As we strategy @Xbox 20th, I come to feel a require, when all over again, to apologize for the literal last second, @AMD engineers-who-helped-us-make-the-prototype-containers-sitting down-in-the-front-row-for-the-announcement change to an Intel CPU. It was Andy calling Bill. Not me. @LisaSu. I beg mercy.

I was standing there on the phase for the announcement, with BillG, and there they were ideal there, entrance row, looking so unfortunate. I’ll hardly ever fail to remember it. They experienced assisted so a great deal with the prototypes. Prototypes that were virtually working the start announcement demos ON AMD Hardware.

I felt like such an ass.

Chilly-blooded! That’s about as last-minute as a swap like this could be, and need to have sucked for the AMD folks included. I do not personally care what components designed it into the box or which corporation ultimately profited from it, but just from a particular standpoint, I come to feel so sorry for these engineers.

Imagine putting in all that function, obtaining the invite to the Xbox event, sitting down appropriate there, seeing the start video games be showcased on your components and then…womp sorry some other company receives to swoop in and in fact make all the money.

In any case, if you’re seeking for some type of company redemptive arc to this tale, equally the PS5 and Xbox Collection X are powered by AMD CPUs.

(You can see Gates announce an Intel CPU at close to the 2:29 mark beneath)