Why it issues: Rumors of Microsoft’s plans for a game-streaming machine have circulated since no less than 2016, and the corporate confirmed its efforts in direction of yet one more than as soon as during the last couple of years. A current data drop reveals that work on the machine continues however continues to be some time away from manufacturing.
On Thursday, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to Home windows Central that the corporate continues to be engaged on a streaming-only machine. It’s iterating on {hardware} devoted to Xbox Cloud Gaming—codenamed Keystone—however is not able to unveil it publicly.
This replace validates a leak in March exhibiting “Keystone” in a listing of Microsoft working programs. Gaming division head Phil Spencer hinted at Microsoft’s reply to the Chromecast in 2020, and the corporate confirmed the event of such a tool final yr. The information adopted earlier rumors of a $99 streaming field or stick.
XBOX KEYSTONE pic.twitter.com/warAwisfKh
— Tero Alhonen” (@teroalhonen) March 9, 2022
At the moment, Sport Move subscribers can stream video games on an Xbox, a cell machine, or almost any PC. Nevertheless, Microsoft thinks it could possibly nonetheless acquire subscribers by means of {hardware} that may stream to TVs for a fraction of the worth of an Xbox.
The machine may develop into a stick, dongle, or a small set-top field operating a model of the Xbox OS. On prime of streaming video games, it may also help leisure apps already out there on Xbox like Netflix and Apple TV. No matter Microsoft brings to that market, it is secure to imagine we cannot see it this yr.
