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The technically unannounced Xbox game streaming device, now confirmed to be codenamed Keystone, has seen an internal rework as Microsoft moves to "refocus our efforts on a new approach."
A new report from Windows Central confirms the project's codename, which surfaced in a datamined product line earlier this year. The positioning of Keystone led some to believe it could be related to the seemingly inevitable revisions of the Xbox Series X and S consoles, but we now know it's a much smaller device.
A statement from Microsoft also confirms that Keystone is still very much a work in-progress.
"As part of any technical journey, we are constantly evaluating our efforts, reviewing our learnings, and ensuring we are bringing value to our customers," Microsoft told Windows Central. "We have made the decision to pivot away from the current iteration of the Keystone device. We will take our learnings and refocus our efforts on a new approach that will allow us to deliver Xbox Cloud Gaming to more players around the world in the future."
Of course, we don't even know what the current iteration of Keystone is or looks like, so this update doesn't immediately change much for consumers, though it does affirm that we shouldn't expect this device anytime soon. Rumors claim that Xbox plans to launch its own game streaming devices and cloud TV apps by May 2023, but it's possible those unconfirmed plans have changed, and the company has always kept official details close to its chest to begin with.
At the very least, we know for a fact that Microsoft has been exploring streaming devices for several years. Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer floated the idea as early as October 2020, and in June 2021 gaming experience CVP Liz Hamren reiterated the company's interest in "extending the Xbox experience to more devices" including "standalone streaming devices that you can plug into a TV or monitor."
The rumors surrounding Keystone have stuck to the same premise: the reportedly Roku stick-like or puck-shaped device would let users access Xbox Cloud Gaming services, including supported Xbox Game Pass titles, using nothing more than a screen and an internet connection.
Microsoft is also working with TV manufacturers to get Xbox baked right into screens.
