Unreleased Xbox cloud streaming console revealed in patent

An Xbox cloud streaming console that never saw the light of day has appeared in a new patent filing.

Back in 2021, Microsoft announced that it was working on the release of an affordable streaming-focused Xbox console, codenamed ‘Keystone’, that would beam Xbox Game Pass content to your living room.

The company ultimately decided to bin the idea in late 2022, with Xbox boss Phil Spencer claiming that his company was unable to hit the $100 to $130 selling price sweet spot. Other than a tantalising glimpse at the front of the box supplied by Mr Spence himself (see above image), that was that – until now.

Windows Central has spotted a Microsoft patent that reveals what the Xbox Keystone would have looked like – albeit in typically crude pencil-sketch patent fashion.

As you can see, it’s a fairly flat, square device with a circular motif on the top. Around front there was to be the familiar Xbox logo power button, as well as a USB-A port, which handily provides a sense of scale.

As does the illustration of back of the Keystone console, which would have featured HDMI, Ethernet, and power ports. Is that an Xbox controller pairing buttons we see on the side of the console? Why, yes it is.

The console would seemingly have sat on a circular plate, lifting its edges off the ground.

That’s it for solid information, unfortunately. There are no details on the internal configuration of the Xbox Keystone, so we’ll never know if it was a fairly dumb internet box or something a little more bespoke.