New Xbox streaming stick details emerge
Here's our best look yet at Microsoft's now mothballed Xbox streaming stick, codenamed 'Keystone'
🆕 A new patent has given us another look at Microsoft’s Xbox streaming stick
🤏 The device looks like a squished-down Xbox Series S
😴 Microsoft mothballed the device in October 2022
💰 But it could still happen, if Microsoft can offer it for the right price
Microsoft put its Xbox streaming stick on hold in October 2022, which would have let you stream Xbox Game Pass to your TV without needing to buy a console. Now, new details of the device, codenamed Keystone, have come to light.
A newly discovered Microsoft patent (thanks, Windows Central) shows what the diminutive little streaming box would have looked like. Essentially, it looks like a squished-down Xbox Series S, with a circle shape on top (potentially a vent) and the front of the device has an Xbox power button and a USB-A port.
The back of the Xbox streaming stick contains three additional ports: an HDMI port, an ethernet port, and an AC port. Finally, on the side of the unit is an Xbox controller pairing button.
Microsoft filed the patent for the device in June 2022, a few months before it announced the streaming stick would be mothballed. Microsoft’s CEO of gaming Phil Spencer previously said Keystone would be priced around $99 or $129, but it wasn’t able to achieve that goal, hence the decision to shelve the idea.
Microsoft could return to its Xbox streaming stick idea, especially as it hasn’t given up on Xbox Cloud Gaming. It’s since turned its attention to supporting Samsung’s TV app and partnering with other cloud gaming companies, but a cheap and affordable Xbox used to stream games could still be a tempting proposition for some.
We know that the next Xbox console is in development and there are even strong signs that an Xbox handheld is on the way. Whether that includes an Xbox streaming stick one day remains to be seen.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.