Microsoft has made the decision to abandon its box (codenamed Keystone) that allows you to play Xbox games in streaming, without having the console, all thanks to a simple Internet connection, revealed Phil Spencer.
No dedicated box for Xbox Cloud Gaming
Phil Spencer, head of games at Microsoft, told The Verge podcast that the reason for ditching the Xbox game streaming box has to do with price. The expected price was in fact too high compared to Microsoft’s initial wishes, while approaching that of the Xbox Series S.
“Many of us took this version home and it worked…very, very well.” said Phil Spencer. “But when you create new products, you always have to ask yourself if you have the right design. Do you have the correct UI? Do you have the right proposition for the customer? And the client’s proposition includes price, and I think we all knew we were a little behind on price.”. According to him, this was due to “some chip choices we were making in the design stage”as well as Phil Spencer’s desire to include a controller.
A prototype case (empty)
So what was the price? The picture is still a bit vague, although it suggests a range between $99 and $129. It was the target price, but it was actually more expensive. “When you have the Xbox Series S at $299, I think for a streaming-only box that makes sense, the difference in price from the S has to be pretty significant.” he has declared.
He recently let it be known in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the Keystone case project could return in a few years. But, for now, Microsoft prefers to focus on applications available on certain media. For example, the group announced a partnership with Samsung so that Samsung TV owners can stream Xbox games via a dedicated app.
