Xbox’s scrapped cloud streaming device, which would have allowed users to access Xbox Cloud Gaming/Game Pass via any display with a HDMI port, has resurfaced after a filed patent with early concept images was found and shared by Windows Central.
Known under the prototype name of “Keystone,” it was essentially a streaming box for Xbox games that would’ve made Game Pass accessible to players without the need for a console or PC (or compatible device like Samsung TVs and Meta Quest headsets). Phil Spencer confirmed that the company had ultimately shelved the idea after it realised a price point of around $99-129 USD wasn’t achievable.
Now thanks to the the patent, which was filed back in 2022, we can get a better idea of what the Keystone would’ve actually looked like. The sketches show something that essentially looks like someone sliced a bottom portion off of an Xbox Series X console and then skinned it to match the Series S. We even have a good indication that it would’ve come in the same white colour as the Series S thanks to Spencer’s shelf-loving leaks previously giving us a look at the unit in the real world.
Image: United States Patent and Trademark Office
We can see via the images that the Keystone would’ve featured a simple layout with the Xbox logo/power button and a USB-A port on the front, a power connector, HDMI port and ethernet jack on the back, and a wireless controller sync button on one side.
The patent doesn’t divulge any info around the device’s internal hardware, operating system or capabilities, but it’s easy to assume that it might have been a basic Android device configured to only run a custom Xbox interface giving access to cloud gaming services, similar to something like the PlayStation Portal.
The company has stated multiple times that its vision is to turn every screen into an Xbox, so it’s doubtful this is the last we’ll see of this idea.
