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Microsoft Teases a Look at the Xbox Streaming Device

Hint: It doesn't appear to be a streaming stick.

Headshot of Macy Meyer
Headshot of Macy Meyer
Macy Meyer Writer II
Macy is a writer on the AI Team. She covers how AI is changing daily life and how to make the most of it. This includes writing about consumer AI products and their real-world impact, from breakthrough tools reshaping daily life to the intimate ways people interact with AI technology day-to-day. Macy is a North Carolina native who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a BA in English and a second BA in Journalism. You can reach her at mmeyer@cnet.com.
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  • Macy has been working for CNET for coming on 2 years. Prior to CNET, Macy received a North Carolina College Media Association award in sports writing.
Macy Meyer
2 min read
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Microsoft

Phil Spencer, Microsoft's head of Xbox, just revealed a first look at an unreleased Xbox streaming device. CNET first reported on the rumor last summer when Microsoft announced it would be releasing a dedicated Xbox streaming device optimized for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. 

This device, codenamed Keystone, will allow users to connect the device to a TV to stream games instead of buying a new Xbox console. The photo was posted as a celebration of Fallout's 25th anniversary, but reporters from The Verge spotted the unknown device sitting on the top center of his shelf.

A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that the photo showed an earlier version of Keystone, but that the company is still developing the model that will be brought to market.

"The device on Phil's shelf was an old prototype of Keystone," the spokesperson told CNET in an emailed statement. "Earlier this year, we announced that we made the decision to pivot away from the current iteration of Keystone and are taking our learnings to refocus our efforts on a new approach that will allow us to deliver Xbox Cloud Gaming to more players around the world in the future."

There's been speculation about when the device would be launched and what kind of device it could be. While there were reports the device would be a streaming stick that would plug directly into an HDMI port or the device would be a Google Chromecast-like "puck" device, the photo posted on Twitter shows the device is a small white box resembling the Xbox Series S.

While waiting for the Xbox streaming device, Microsoft fans can access Xbox Game Pass and many great Xbox games. 

See the latest CNET gaming coverage here.

Xbox Series S $300 at Xbox