NVIDIA ON X-BOX
March 10, 2000

NVIDIA today announced that Microsoft has selected NVIDIA to design and manufacture the 3D graphics and multimedia sub-system for Microsoft's X-Box game console.

Microsoft officially announced X-Box today to an anxious audience at the Game Developer's Conference (more). The design win represents an important strategic step for NVIDIA, known for its RIVA TNT, TNT2, and GeForce 256 graphics processors.

The company will design a custom Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) and Multimedia and Communications Processor (MCP) chipset for the X-Box.

"The digital revolution is driving massive change in consumer electronics. At the epicenter of this revolution will be next-generation game consoles like X-Box -- it is incredibly powerful, networked to the Internet, and will deliver breathtaking games.

"And as 3D is a key component of X-Box, NVIDIA will be launched onto the world stage as we work with Microsoft to transform the living room experience," said Jen Hsun Huang, president and CEO of NVIDIA. "Microsoft has the vast resources, experience in supporting developers, and great technology and tools to build this industry changing platform. We are thrilled to partner with Microsoft on the X-Box. This opportunity will catapult us into the game console arena."

"Microsoft is committed to delivering great software for the home, and we are adapting our leading-edge technologies and bringing them to a new device -- X-Box," said Robbie Bach, vice president of the Microsoft Games Division. "NVIDIA is a technology leader with a track record of flawless execution with the support of game developers all over the world."