Microsoft has revealed that the cloud game streaming console (called ‘Keystone') it is working on is still “years away” from becoming a reality. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said during The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live conference that the company is working on an Xbox game streaming device that would let users play Xbox games without downloading games. It is a low-cost plug-and-play device, but it has been shelved.
He further noted that this move was made in the late spring because the company shifted its focus to working with Samsung for the Gaming Hub. Samsung's Gaming Hub feature, which comes on its high-end TVs, was developed in collaboration with Microsoft in a way that lets you play Xbox games via cloud streaming. Spencer said that Microsoft might still make a streaming device in the future, but it would take years before it actually arrives in the hands of the users.
Vault Boy left the shelter and stopped by my office to celebrate the #Fallout25 Anniversary. Congratulations to the @Fallout @Bethesda teams on this major milestone for an iconic franchise. pic.twitter.com/hGoN1sAQRK
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) October 10, 2022
The Xbox TV app supports 1080p game streaming while it is 4K on its rivals
Keystone was announced last year, and planned to launch the device soon, but it is not coming anytime soon. While the actual reason behind this issue wasn't mentioned, as noted by The Verge, it could be related to the size. In an image posted by Phil Spencer, the Keystone sits on a shelf. It looks like a smaller version of the Xbox Series S.
Since users now have access to devices like Chromecast that are plug-n-play, Microsoft always described Keystone as a streaming device rather than a stick. Although the company has managed to launch an Xbox TV app on Samsung TVs, it only supports streaming games at 1080p up to 60fps.
Compared with its rivals like Google Stadia (rest in peace) and Nvidia’s GeForce, they both support 4K game streaming. So, Microsoft has a lot of work to do on Xbox Cloud Gaming before it becomes ready for TVs.
