AMD has confirmed that its next-generation graphics platform, known as RDNA 4, will start appearing in upcoming gaming graphics cards in early 2025.

AMD CEO Lisa Su made the announcement during a recent earnings call with analysts. “We are on track to launch the first RDNA 4 GPUs in early 2025,” she said. The new GPU platform will enable “a strong increase” in gaming performance, she said on the call, adding that RDNA 4 delivers “significantly higher” ray tracing performance while adding “new AI capabilities.”

This is the first official comment regarding AMD’s next GPU. The timing suggests we might see a formal announcement at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. While the executive referred to the next GPU as RDNA 4, AMD may end up using a different marketing name, such as the Radeon RX 8000 Series (also known as Navi 44 or 48).

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The gaming industry has been anticipating the next GPU from AMD for some time now, but the company seems more interested in pushing the AI capabilities of its chips than its graphics prowess. As a result, gamers will probably want to stick with high-end gaming GPUs from Nvidia (which should also unveil its next-generation RTX 50 series during the CES.

This is evidenced by a breakdown of AMD’s revenue, with gaming accounting for only two percent of its revenue. AMD’s gaming revenue dropped a whopping 69 percent, another significant decline following a 48 percent gaming revenue decline in the quarter before.

A table highlighting AMD's earnings for the third quarter of 2024 across business segments.
AMD

The gaming segment includes revenue from AMD’s GPUs for the Xbox and PlayStation 5 consoles, which fell because Microsoft and Sony reduced orders. Meanwhile, chips for data centers and silicon with AI capabilities are responsible for well over half of AMD’s business.

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However, the company’s executives believe the decline will be short-lived. “In gaming graphics, revenue declined year-over-year as we prepare for a transition to our next-gen Radeon GPUs based on our RDNA 4 architecture,” Su said.

AMD recently announced Ryzen Z2 Extreme, the successor to its first-generation PC gaming handheld APU, dubbed Z1 Extreme. The new chip is slated to arrive in early 2025. If you’re planning to buy a gaming handheld right now, wait a little. With 2025 lurking around the corner, you’re in for a huge upgrade wave for handheld gaming PCs, as other companies are also planning to release their next-generation handheld APUs early next year.

Source: AMD via PC World