Earlier this month, a rumor suggested that Microsoft might be almost ready to release a Chromecast-like game playback stick for its Xbox Cloud Gaming service. The company has now confirmed that this device (codenamed Keystone) exists, but may not arrive soon, according to a Windows Central report.
“As announced last year, we’ve been working on a gaming device, codenamed Keystone, that could be connected to any TV or monitor without the need for a console,” a Microsoft spokesman said. in Windows Central. “We’ve made the decision to move away from the current iteration of the Keystone device. We’re taking our learnings and focusing our efforts on a new approach that will allow us to offer Xbox Cloud Gaming to more gamers around the world in the future.”
Last year, Microsoft confirmed that it was making Xbox video game streaming sticks and incorporating technology into smart TVs. “We’re … developing standalone streaming devices that you can connect to a TV or monitor, so if you have a strong internet connection, you can stream your Xbox experience,” the company said at the time.
Because Stadia did not illuminate the market as much as Google expected, Microsoft may be taking stock of its own project. “As part of any technical journey, we constantly evaluate our efforts, review our learnings and make sure we add value to our customers,” the spokesman said.
Xbox Cloud Gaming (née xCloud) has been released on computers, mobile devices and Xbox consoles as part of the $ 15-a-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, although technically it is still in beta almost a year later. of launching widely. However, Stadia can work with relatively inexpensive Chromecast devices from Google, as well as NVIDIA Shield TV and many smart TVs. Obviously, Microsoft is careful with its own real-time playback device, so it doesn’t look like a release will be in the near future.
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