Microsoft is very serious about gaming , and its goal is to sell us its Game Pass whether we buy an Xbox console or not. For quite some time now, there have been rumors that Microsoft could release a dongle , that is, something like its own Chromecast so that users of its video game service can enjoy the cloud service on any television, something similar to what Google did with Stadia. The code name of this Microsoft HDMI stick is ‘Keystone’, and now we know that Microsoft is still polishing its details so that it can reach the market as soon as possible.
Microsoft needs its own HDMI dongle for Xbox Cloud Gaming
Cloud gaming isn’t quite settling in yet, but Microsoft is still working hard to make its service the best alternative to Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now. If we analyze the competition of those from Redmond in this market, we will find an element in which today, those of Satya Nadella are behind: the hardware for those who want to enjoy Xbox Cloud Gaming. Nvidia knew how to focus its Shield TV devices very well so that its users could take advantage of the company’s cloud game. And Google, although it didn’t get off to a good start with Stadia, used the Chromecast Ultra so that users who don’t have consoles could access their service. In fact, they did it with a very attractive introductory offer that combined the Stadia controller with one of these dongles .
Well, as Windows Central has learned, Microsoft is working to have Keystone ready as soon as possible , that is, the dongle that will allow users to access Microsoft’s cloud-based game catalog without the need for a PC or Xbox. .
A long road of trial and error
However, it seems that in Redmond they are taking it very seriously, and they want to try all possible alternatives until they find the perfect product . According to statements by those responsible for Microsoft, the company’s goal is that any user can play Xbox regardless of the device they have, as announced last year. And to achieve that goal, the Keystone will be a critical piece of the puzzle. However, Microsoft engineers continue to explore all avenues until they find the right device:
As part of any technical journey, we are constantly evaluating our efforts, reviewing our learnings, and ensuring that we are delivering value to our customers. We have made the decision to abandon the current iteration of the Keystone device. We will take our learnings and refocus our efforts on a new approach that will allow us to bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to more gamers around the world in the future.
This almost certainly means that we will not see the Keystone announcement at the next Xbox and Bethesda presentation on June 12. However, the fact that they have abandoned the current iteration does not mean that the development is starting from scratch , since the company has been developing this device for a couple of years.
Much has been speculated about what this dongle will be like. Microsoft could have cut corners by using Android AOSP, but judging by the time it’s taking to design this product, it looks like they’ll be using their own proprietary Windows-based system or the Xbox system . In fact, several documents have already been leaked in which this new system appeared as ‘ ERA ‘ or ‘ GameOS ‘. We will have to wait a little longer for them to finally clear us of doubts.