Microsoft’s canceled Xbox cloud console gets detailed in new patent

A fewer years ago, Microsoft was readying to motorboat a dedicated Xbox unreality console, codenamed Keystone. The instrumentality looked similar a miniature Xbox Series S, a tiny achromatic container that was dedicated to accessing Xbox games implicit the company’s Xbox Cloud Gaming service. Microsoft yet canceled its plans to motorboat Keystone, but a caller patent gives america the champion look astatine what the Xbox unreality console would person looked like.

Spotted by Windows Central, the patent reveals that Keystone would person shipped with an HDMI port, ethernet, and a powerfulness connector. At the front, determination was an Xbox button, a controller pairing button, and a USB-A port. Underneath, Microsoft had a circular “Hello from Seattle” sheet that the console sat on, akin to what it uses connected the larger Xbox Series X.

The patent, filed successful 2022, is assigned to Chris Kujawski, a main decorator astatine Microsoft. Kujawski led the plan for the Xbox Series S / X consoles.

Microsoft first announced it was readying an Xbox streaming instrumentality successful 2021 but yet canceled its Keystone instrumentality due to the fact that it couldn’t rather get the terms to astir $100. Xbox main Phil Spencer revealed Keystone connected his bureau support successful 2022, with the authoritative Xbox relationship connected X claiming it was an “old prototype.”

“It was much costly than we wanted it to beryllium erstwhile we really built it retired with the hardware that we had inside,” said Spencer successful an interview with The Verge successful precocious 2022. “We decided to absorption that team’s effort connected delivering the astute TV streaming app.”

Microsoft went connected to launch an Xbox TV app instead. Available connected 2022 and supra Samsung TVs and monitors, the Xbox TV app launches games from Xbox Cloud Gaming and supports streaming games astatine 1080p astatine up to 60fps.