Xbox Streaming Stick: release window and everything we know so far
Microsoft is working on an Xbox Streaming Stick, codenamed the Keystone, and intends to bring Xbox Game Pass to as many homes as possible.
While the feeling of opening a new console like Xbox Series X or PS5 for the first time is still unmatched, the era of traditional consoles might be coming to an end. With cloud gaming going from strength to strength, and Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now integrating the company’s Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming service, an Xbox Streaming Stick seems like the next step.
We say big, but physically it could be the company’s smallest device yet, which is certainly impressive considering how small the Xbox Series S is. An Xbox Streaming Stick would have a lot more in common with a Roku Streaming Stick or Amazon. Fire TV Stick than with an Xbox Series X. But how will this work, when might we see it, and would it be worth the wait?
Xbox Streaming Stick: cut to the chase
- What is? A dongle-sized device that streams Xbox games from the cloud
- When does it come out? The device has yet to be officially revealed, though Microsoft is rumored to release the new Xbox hardware in mid-2023.
- How much would it cost? That’s yet to be determined, but we’d expect a lot less than even the affordable Xbox Series S, and we expect a sub-$100 price tag.
Is Microsoft working on an Xbox Streaming Stick?
The first part of the puzzle lies in Microsoft’s cloud gaming technology, known as Xbox Cloud Gaming. Now officially integrated into the Xbox app for smartphones and tablets, as well as being available on PC, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription lets you instantly stream games from the cloud across mobile devices, consoles, and computers.
Xbox Cloud Gaming will also soon become a feature of regular Xbox console hardware, from Xbox Series X to next-generation Xbox One consoles, allowing gamers to play the latest and most advanced games through the power of their Internet connections no matter how old your device is, and skip the initial download waits typically required to jump into a game.
At E3 2021, Microsoft revealed its intentions to go beyond its traditional console hardware platforms for its cloud gaming services.
“Xbox is working with global TV manufacturers to bring the Xbox experience directly to Internet-connected TVs with no additional hardware required except a controller,” it said in a press release, suggesting that TV manufacturers will soon offer an Xbox app. Integrated Xbox. ready to stream games from the cloud. There’s already a precedent for this from Samsung, which offers the Steam Link app on its web-connected TVs.
In addition to this, and most importantly, Liz Hamren, CVP of gaming experiences and platforms at Xbox, revealed that Xbox “is also developing independent games.” streaming devices that you can connect to a TV or monitor, so if you have a good internet connection, you can stream your Xbox experience.”
For those who can’t get the much sought after new consoles, can’t upgrade their TVs to get the new TV app, or just can’t afford the high cost such devices typically require, this could be a great entry point into the ecosystem of Xbox Game Pass. Simply free up an HDMI port on your existing TV, plug in the dongle, and you can access hundreds of Xbox games through a Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
“We’re doing all of this because Game Pass works,” says Hamren. “It works for consumers and it works for publishers. With Game Pass, players spend 20% more time playing. They play 30% more genres and 40% more games overall, including games outside of their Game Pass subscription. In a recent survey, we found that over 90% of members said they played a game that they otherwise wouldn’t have played without Game Pass.”
Microsoft has since confirmed that its Xbox Streaming Stick is still in development as of May 2022, revealing its codename to be “Keystone.” responding to a windows center (opens in a new tab) report, which confirms that the device provides a “modernized HDMI transmission device”, Microsoft issued this statement:
“Our vision for Xbox Cloud Gaming is unwavering, our goal is to enable people to play the games they want, on the devices they want, anywhere they want. As we announced last year, we have been working on a streaming device for games, codenamed Keystone, that could connect to any TV or monitor without the need for a console.”
What can we expect?
The streaming device market tends to be a race to the bottom in terms of price. Whether you’re looking for a Google Chromecast, an Amazon Fire Stick, or a Roku Streaming Stick, these relatively low-power dongle devices sell for cheap as their makers intend to make money off of the content they sell, in the device.
In the case of the Xbox Streaming Stick, it would have a built-in money spin in the form of a Game Pass Ultimate subscription required to access cloud streaming services. Although Microsoft will be keen to reap the slightly higher margins associated with traditional console sales, low-cost stick hardware could bring the lucrative service to people who wouldn’t traditionally spend money on gaming gear. However, this does not take into account the possibility of including a driver with any streaming device package.
It might also appeal to those who scoff at the idea of having a big console under their TVs. Streaming devices tend to be small USB-powered dongles that take up an HDMI port on your TV and are only a couple of inches long. They’re pretty much hidden from view at all times, and in the case of a proposed Xbox device, it would only require an additional Xbox controller to work.
Streaming devices are often relatively underpowered, and with Xbox Cloud Gaming currently only targeting 1080p, Full HD streams wouldn’t necessarily need a lot of onboard processing power to feel snappy, as long as the user’s internet connection be stable and fast. Xbox could make a larger streaming stick, like the Amazon Fire TV Cube or Apple TV 4K, and add the push to support 4K streaming at a later date.
But that would drive up the price and cause any streaming device to start cannibalizing the market space that the cheaper Xbox Series S is currently targeting. There’s a feeling that since consumers already understand the point and usefulness of streaming sticks, Microsoft could bring an Xbox Streaming Stick to market relatively quickly.
But the hurdle is getting people to accept the concept of cloud gaming: it was hard enough getting gamers to endorse the concept of digital purchases over physical releases, an idea that’s only now beginning to feel like the norm. Cloud gaming has to contend with the fact that if your web speed is slow or erratic, performance is going to be a disaster.
Xbox’s cloud technology is among the most advanced and stable we’ve ever seen, but Microsoft will want to be sure it’s educated its audience well enough on what to expect, and that overall speeds can be expected broadband market to keep up. demands of cloud gaming.
When will the Xbox Streaming Stick be released?
Microsoft hasn’t officially revealed when it will launch the Xbox Streaming Stick, but there are plenty of rumours. VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb and The Verge’s Tom Warren claimed in May 2022 that Microsoft is preparing to launch the device sometime in the next 12 months. That means we could see the streaming dongle hit shelves as early as mid-2023.
Given that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S only launched in late 2020, that expected release date is pretty surprising. Microsoft will be interested in selling as many Xbox consoles as it can before launching this cheaper streaming alternative. If the streaming device launches next year, it will save many potential customers from shelling out for expensive hardware.
According to Grubb and Warren, Microsoft will launch the device as part of a larger Xbox Everywhere project, an initiative designed to extend the reach of Xbox Cloud Gaming to more devices, markets, and gamers. The idea is to make Xbox streaming more accessible than ever by giving potential gamers, who might otherwise be turned off by the cost of expensive gaming hardware, an affordable means of getting on Xbox Game Pass.
Although a 12-month time frame may seem vast, it’s best to take even this supposed launch window with a pinch of salt. Microsoft has yet to officially announce a release window of any kind, and Xbox boss Phil Spencer has been known to preempt it in the past.
He previously spoken (opens in a new tab) the upcoming Xbox TV app in November 2020, which suggests you expected it to appear 12 months from now. Well, it’s been 12 months and we still don’t have a native Xbox app for smart TVs. Let’s hope Xbox Everywhere is the project that finally puts the Xbox streaming app and stick in our hands.
