Cloud gaming fans may come back to earth after news from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer that Microsoft has shelved its plans for the Xbox streaming device.
Long discussed Xbox Streaming Stickcodenamed Keystone, is no longer a viable option from both a production and usability standpoint. “It was more expensive than we wanted when we actually built it with the hardware we had inside,” said Spencer Edge (opens in a new tab). He cited the broader impact of the cost of living crisis on consumer habits as one of the determining factors behind the indefinite shutdown at Keystone – which makes sense, especially as we prepare for possible Xbox price increases will come in the new year.
However, those who have been looking forward to a cloud-only device will not be left out in the cold this winter. There are plenty of alternatives that won’t cost you (or Microsoft) a dime.
In seventh heaven
Microsoft is expanding its streaming service under the name Xbox Cloud Games umbrella.
The cloud streaming service, which is available on both smartphones and smart TVs, has grown in popularity 20 million players (opens in a new tab) Meet with someone. Provides Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users with an easy, portable, completely online way to use their subscription from anywhere in the world and is part of the $14.99 / £20.99 / AU$15.98 monthly payment
The Xbox Streaming Stick makes it easy to take your Xbox Game Pass library with you on the go. While you can stream games through the Samsung Gaming Hub to modern smart TVs, the service doesn’t work on older devices. Using the streaming device, you can connect the dongle to any TV with an HDMI port, connect to Wi-Fi and access the Game Pass catalog.
However, cloud gaming still has significant disadvantages compared to native gaming. If your internet connection is not strong, you will encounter graphics glitches, buffering and delays between gamepad input and screen action. And even if your internet is excellent, you won’t be playing at the 4K resolution you get on the Xbox Series X. So to be attractive, the Xbox Streaming Stick has to be much cheaper than current-gen consoles like the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Considering Given that cloud gaming is also available on Xbox One, the streaming stick would also compete with this generation hardware.
It seems that Microsoft has not been able to lower the price of the hardware low enough to make it competitive. According to The Verge, Microsoft was aiming for $129 (£110, AU$190) or less, but the team struggled to get the package below $299. So “we decided to focus this team’s efforts on delivering Smart TV streaming apps,” Spencer explained.
At another point in the interview, Spencer talked about the length of Microsoft’s support players in the cost of living crisisand apparently the exorbitantly expensive streaming stick goes against those plans. The Keystone project may be restarted in the future, but for now, Microsoft’s attention is elsewhere.