“It was more expensive than we wanted it to be when we actually built it out with the hardware that we had inside,” mentioned Spencer, discussing the Keystone prototype system that lately appeared on his workplace cabinets. “We decided to focus that team’s effort on delivering the smart TV streaming app.”

Microsoft delivered an Xbox TV app in partnership with Samsung as a substitute, however it doesn’t imply the concept for a streaming-only Xbox console is absolutely over. “With Keystone, we’re still focused on it and watching when we can get the right cost,” reveals Spencer.

Microsoft needed to purpose for round $129 or $99 for this Xbox streaming system, says Spencer, and hints that bundling a controller with the streaming console, in addition to Microsoft’s silicon part decisions, had pushed the value up nearer to the $299 Xbox Series S.

The option to bundle a controller matches what Microsoft historically does with its Xbox consoles and was additionally Google’s authentic strategy to placing its discontinued Stadia cloud gaming service on TVs. But a cloud gaming TV stick or puck may assist any controller you’ve gotten if the {hardware} helps Bluetooth, so it’s attention-grabbing Microsoft particularly needed to bundle an Xbox controller, prone to make the person expertise really feel extra seamless.

Indeed, Spencer says the Keystone prototype “looks like an Xbox with the user interface and everything works.” Now the system is simply hanging out on his shelf within the workplace. “The reason it’s on my shelf is because the team rolled up their sleeves, and in nine months, they built that thing,” says Spencer. “A bunch of us took it home, and it worked. It worked really, really well.”

Now it seems to be prefer it’ll be fairly a while earlier than we see something related. “Will we do a streaming device at some point? I suspect we will, but I think it’s years away,” mentioned Spencer in a current Wall Street Journal reside convention.