Xbox Streaming Box Still "Years Away" Despite Prototype Tease

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has never been shy about teasing new announcements in his tweets, but it seems that his Keystone prototype reveal was more for the archivists than the hype. In a recent interview, Spencer indicated that Xbox may still release a Keystone-style streaming box at some point, but if it does, it's "years away."

Spencer also clarified that the decision to add an Xbox app directly to smart TVs produced by companies like Samsung was an important pivot point for the Keystone project. Xbox also recently announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming is supported by more Windows devices than ever before, including Surface tablets and laptops, meaning that they have greater market penetration than ever already.

From the moves that Xbox has made over the past year, it's extremely clear that the company views cloud gaming as an important priority. However, rumors have swirled for years now that the Keystone project suffered some setbacks during development, which may have led to this late pivot. Regardless of whether or not the prototype Keystone box emerges in the coming years, an "Xbox without Xbox" gaming experience seems inevitable. But we'll have to wait and see what form it will ultimately take.