Earlier this month, reports surfaced that Microsoft was getting into the game streaming business with a device like the Amazon Fire TV Stick. The report was accurate, but Microsoft has since decided to refocus its efforts on “a new approach.”
The report says the device will be released within 12 months and will allow users to stream games through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. That doesn’t appear to be the case anymore, as the device, code-named Keystone, may not end up coming — at least in its current form, a Microsoft spokesperson told Windows Central.
“As part of any technology journey, we continually evaluate our efforts, review our learnings, and ensure we deliver value to our customers,” the spokesperson said.
“We have decided to drop the current iteration of the Keystone device. We will take our experience and refocus our efforts on a new approach that will allow us to make Xbox cloud gaming available to more players around the world in the future. Multiplayer.”
The original May report also stated that within 12 months, Samsung smart TVs will get the Xbox streaming app for TVs. Whether this is still the case remains to be seen.
Microsoft has long been a proponent of streaming, and at E3 2016 Phil Spencer noticed a change in the gaming landscape as most people play on more than one device.
Spencer said Microsoft wants to offer Xbox games in a way that allows users more freedom and choice, enabling them to play the games they want on any device they want.