Xbox Series XPhoto: Sam Rutherford / Gizmodo
Xbox confirmed that it is still developing a low-cost playback stick designed to bring Game Pass to the masses by cutting the console. However, it appears that the company has encountered a problem with the latest underdeveloped hardware and is now moving towards a new approach.
An xCloud playback device was first announced in June 2021 along with plans to bring a hardware-free Xbox Game Pass application to compatible TVs. The company had previously triggered an Xbox playback stick, claiming that a device that you could connect to a TV or monitor to play games was in development. Most recently, a product named “Keystone” appeared on an Xbox OS list.
In a statement to Windows Central, a Microsoft spokesman reiterated Xbox’s intentions to launch a dongle for cloud gaming, but acknowledged that the developing concept needs to be removed.
Our vision for Xbox Cloud Gaming is unwavering, our goal is to allow people to play the games they want, the devices they want, anywhere they want. As announced last year, we have been working on a gaming device, codenamed Keystone, which could be connected to any TV or monitor without the need for a console, “said a Microsoft spokesman. .
As part of any technical journey, we constantly evaluate our efforts, review our learning, and make sure we add value to our customers. We’ve made the decision to move away from the current iteration of the Keystone device. We take our learnings and focus our efforts on a new approach that will allow us to offer Xbox Cloud Gaming to more gamers around the world in the future.
We don’t know much about the streaming stick other than its goal of lowering the entry barrier to access Xbox Cloud Gaming, which includes hundreds of games via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, along with TV shows, movies, and other means. It can take the form of a Roku Streaming Stick or it can be a larger box with an Ethernet port and USB connections. Early leaks show a mini hub with Ethernet, USB and HDMI ports and a look similar to the Xbox Series S.
Either way, this device may not arrive soon enough; while stocks are slowly approaching demand, buying the latest Xbox consoles at retail prices remains a challenge. Even if you can get one, it will cost you at least $ 300 for the Xbox S series and $ 500 for the X series. A low-cost playback stick could benefit both consumers and the Xbox. give the former a cheaper way to experience a modern experience. while the latter earns a steady stream of revenue through subscriptions.
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It will be interesting to see how all this unfolds, especially since Xbox intends to bring a gaming app to the cloud for selected TVs, completely eliminating the need for additional hardware. The last thing we knew about the streaming stick was that it could arrive in the next 12 months. he would not hold his breath; after all, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said in November 2020 that we will see an Xbox app on TVs in 12 months and that he “doesn’t think anything is stopping us from doing so.” Here we are in 2022, still frantically clicking to upgrade to retailer websites to have a chance to spend a lot of money on a console.