Microsoft's Canceled Keystone Console: A Compact White Box for Xbox Cloud Gaming

Seattle, Washington United States of America
Cancelled due to cost concerns.
Console featured HDMI, Ethernet, and power connectors.
Design by Chris Kujawski.
Microsoft had plans for a compact white box console named Keystone for Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Microsoft instead launched Xbox TV app.
Microsoft's Canceled Keystone Console: A Compact White Box for Xbox Cloud Gaming

Microsoft had plans to launch a dedicated cloud console named Keystone for its Xbox Cloud Gaming service. The device, designed by Chris Kujawski, was intended to be a compact white box with an HDMI port, ethernet, and power connector. Microsoft ultimately canceled the project due to cost concerns.

The first reports of Microsoft's Keystone console emerged in 2021 when Xbox chief Phil Spencer announced the company was working on a streaming device for its Xbox Cloud Gaming service. However, by late 2022, Spencer revealed that Microsoft had decided to focus on a smart TV app instead.

The patent application for Keystone was filed in 2022 and assigned to Kujawski. The document reveals that the console would have featured an Xbox button and a controller pairing button on the front, while the rear would have housed Ethernet, HDMI, and power connectors.

Microsoft's Keystone console was designed as a streaming-only device to access games from its Xbox Cloud Gaming service. The company had hoped to sell it at an affordable price around $100 but ultimately deemed it too expensive. Instead, Microsoft launched the Xbox TV app, which allows users to stream games on 2022 and above Samsung TVs and monitors.

Despite the cancellation of Keystone, Microsoft remains committed to its Xbox Cloud Gaming service. The company has announced several partnerships with companies like Nvidia and Lenovo to bring cloud gaming capabilities to their devices. Additionally, Microsoft is rumored to be working on a new console codenamed Project Amplify that could potentially offer both local and cloud gaming capabilities.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Was the cancellation of Keystone solely due to cost concerns?
  • What was the exact reason for Microsoft's decision to focus on the Xbox TV app instead?

Sources

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Check out what Microsoft's Keystone streaming device might have been

Engadget Anna Washenko Thursday, 27 June 2024 08:46
  • Unique Points
    • Microsoft had a project called Keystone for a dedicated streaming device for Game Pass subscribers
    • It had expected cable ports and a controller pairing button
    • Microsoft leadership announced the concept in 2021 but deemed it too expensive, shifting focus to a smart TV streaming app instead
  • Accuracy
    • Microsoft had plans to launch a dedicated Xbox cloud console named Keystone.
    • It would have had an Xbox button, a controller pairing button, and a USB-A port on the front.
    • Microsoft canceled the Keystone project due to cost concerns.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it states 'Windows Central uncovered a patent that showed what the Keystone might have looked like.' This statement implies that the information from Windows Central is authoritative and trustworthy without providing any evidence or context as to why this is so. However, since this is not a significant portion of the article and does not affect the overall argument, it only reduces the score slightly.
    • Windows Central uncovered a patent that showed what the Keystone might have looked like.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Microsoft’s canceled Xbox cloud console gets detailed in new patent

The Verge Tom Warren Wednesday, 26 June 2024 17:37
  • Unique Points
    • Microsoft had plans to launch a dedicated Xbox cloud console named Keystone.
    • It was designed by Chris Kujawski.
    • Microsoft canceled the Keystone project due to cost concerns.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Patent document showcases the cloud-only streaming Xbox console that never was

Ars Technica Andrew Cunningham Wednesday, 26 June 2024 20:01
  • Unique Points
    • Microsoft’s Keystone Xbox, a streaming-only console designed to connect to Xbox Cloud Gaming servers, was fully functional but not launched due to the inability to get the price low enough for release.
    • , Microsoft had plans to launch a dedicated Xbox cloud console named Keystone.
    • The console would have had a boxy white design similar to the Series S with cutouts on the bottom and back for air cooling, front-mounted Xbox button and USB port, and rear-mounted Ethernet, HDMI, and power.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Patent Offers a Closer Look at Xbox's Canceled Keystone Cloud Streaming Console

IGN (Imagine Games Network) Wednesday, 26 June 2024 18:56
  • Unique Points
    • Microsoft announced they were working on a cloud-only gaming device named Project Keystone roughly three years ago.
    • Project Keystone was designed to stream games only through the cloud and was canceled. No proper look beyond being spotted on Phil Spencer’s shelf in late 2022.
    • A new patent reveals that Project Keystone would have been a small box-shaped design with vents, two buttons (Xbox power button and USB-A port), a Bluetooth pairing button, one Ethernet port, one HDMI port, and a power cable port.
    • Chris Kujawski invented Project Keystone. He is also the lead designer of the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles and the Xbox Adaptive and Xbox Elite controllers.
    • Project Keystone was put on hold because it was too expensive to make, with Microsoft hoping to sell it at an affordable price around $129-$99.
    • The initial idea of allowing players to stream Xbox games on the cloud through TV or monitor without additional hardware lives on through the Xbox TV App, which is now available on newer Samsung smart TVs and gaming monitors.
  • Accuracy
    • Microsoft announced they were working on a cloud-only gaming device named Project Keystone in roughly three years ago.
    • Project Keystone was designed to stream games only through the cloud and was canceled.
    • Project Keystone would have been a small box-shaped design with vents, two buttons (Xbox power button and USB-A port), a Bluetooth pairing button, one Ethernet port, one HDMI port, and a power cable port.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article provides information about a cancelled Xbox project and includes quotes from Phil Spencer. No formal or informal fallacies were found in the author's assertions. However, there is an appeal to authority when quoting Phil Spencer.
    • I don’t want to announce pricing specifically, but I think you’ve got to be $129, $99, somewhere in there for that to make sense in my view,
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication