Surely you will remember that a little over a month ago, it “leaked” that Microsoft may be working on Xbox Keystone. And if you’re wondering why I’ve put it in quotes, it’s because the source of that information was a tweet from Phil Spencer that contained an image, in which we could see a suspicious device on the shelf. And as our colleague Juan said then, it could be an oversight, but it’s not common for these types of executives to stitch without a thread. Thus, we can see it as a leak, as a trial balloon, as an advance or even as an unofficial announcement that came from an official source.
Be that as it may, the Xbox Keystone project began to spark conversation, with some users praising what this new device could offer, while others considered it unnecessary and therefore a mistake. Personally, I thought it was a daring and intelligent bet, which follows a line that I have been working on for some time, and that is that Microsoft is working, at least on one line, in the concept of Xbox as a service. A strategy in which the key role is played by Xbox Cloud, the Redmond cloud gaming service.
But, let us start at the beginning. Xbox Keystone is (or will be, or would be, since its future is not clear) a device specifically designed for cloud gaming, so you only need the necessary components to manage the audio and video signal, the connectivity both with the Internet and with the game controller and, of course, also the management of the same. And, eventually, it could also offer access to other online services such as Netflix, Prime Video, Spotify, etc.
Such a lightweight device should be quite cheap, both to produce and at the point of sale, but it seems that this is where the project has hit a major bump, which we don’t know if it will be able to overcome. And it is because, according to Phil Spencer in The Verge’s Decoder podcast, Xbox Keystone production costs are well above what was expected and desired by the company.
Surely you are wondering about the numbers, right? Well, the initial intention of Microsoft is Xbox Keystone selling price to be between $100 and $130but the first tests in this regard, by adding the cost of manufacturing the device and that of a controller for it, made the recommended sale price dangerously close to that of an Xbox Series S, the model all digital from the Redmond console.
Such a device, for the price initially desired by Microsoft can be a very competitive productbecause it offers the same as other devices smartizers of televisions, but specifically designed taking into account the requirements of online gaming, and with the extra of including an Xbox Controller. However, if they are not able to substantially reduce the cost of production, the Xbox Keystone may ultimately never see the light of day.
