The Xbox Keystone, Microsoft’s upcoming cloud-based game streaming hardware, revealed some details a few months ago. Now Windows Central has some new coverage. For example, the Xbox Keystone will be primarily positioned as a cloud-driven “home console” rather than a “streaming game” hardware platform.
The version currently in development is said to have a boxy shape and an Xbox Series X-like top cover design, but slashed to a few inches thick. If development goes well, it could be the smallest Xbox console ever made.
In terms of software, it is expected that the Xbox Keystone will be pre-installed with a simplified version of the Windows operating system and support the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate cloud gaming solution, supplemented by Netflix, Disney+ and Microsoft’s own video resource bundles; in terms of connectivity, it should be able to connect various peripherals via USB On the network side, the Xbox Keystone may have an Ethernet port + Wi-Fi 5 wireless network.
While Wi-Fi 6’s bandwidth boost is significant, Wi-Fi 5 is more than enough for a 1080p 60fps gaming experience. As for whether Microsoft will promote the 4K game streaming experience when the Xbox Keystone is officially released, it is currently unknown. In addition, the report speculates that Microsoft may be working on a streaming solution that would allow players to experience any digital version of a game purchased on the Xbox Store. However, there may still be some obstacles to hitchhike smoothly on xCloud.
Finally, Microsoft is likely to set an attractive price for the Xbox Keystone, say as low as $99. The monthly fee for an XGP Ultimate subscription is $15. However, in the early stages of the promotion (or launch in 2023), it may be limited to specific regions that support Xbox cloud games, but the actual time to market depends on how long Microsoft is brewing.
