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Phil Spencer is teasing the rumored Xbox streaming stick/console codenamed Keystone in a new shelf photo

akimbo009

Gold Member
If it's as good as it is on the main console, it could be a really cool device ... But I'll be skeptical until any test is done...

Can't be more than $100, even with a controller. Casuals making a bet here needs to be "what the hell, let me get it and see" pricing.
 

ACESHIGH

Banned
They should be launching a cheaper, cloud only tier of gamepass to go with it. Right now you can only play games through xcloud by paying the full fat gamepasssub, which has a bunch of stuff that cloud games won't be using (PC games, Xbox games)
 
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Hendrick's

If only my penis was as big as my GamerScore!
In what logical way? Data packets go from x device to y host/server pending any hops in between. Is this device going to magically get rid of physical latency?

Controller latency will be much better than Bluetooth to a phone. And the device could potentially have better WiFi Performance as well as allow wired Ethernet. There are many reasons to prefer this over a phone.
 

KungFucius

King Snowflake
If streaming is good enough, you could add one to each TV in the house that doesn't already have a console or PC hooked up to it and have family gaming night.
 

anothertech

Member
You guys got it all wrong. This is the infamous dgpu that can turn your series S into an Xbone by plugging into the ram port.

Mr. x told us all along. Just wait.
 

MarkMe2525

Member
You guys got it all wrong. This is the infamous dgpu that can turn your series S into an Xbone by plugging into the ram port.

Mr. x told us all along. Just wait.
You are bringing me back. Now if someone could import this photo into paint and scribble all over it in red, the circle can be complete.
 

DaGwaphics

Member
Controller latency will be much better than Bluetooth to a phone. And the device could potentially have better WiFi Performance as well as allow wired Ethernet. There are many reasons to prefer this over a phone.

Chances are a device as chunky as what is pictured (when compared to a phone) can better cool the processors, that could give you a performance boost as well.
 

MarkMe2525

Member
Love my Kishi. That is interesting about the frequencies. Would that be an xCloud issue though? I guess it could be a problem in that app itself.
Not only does a 5ghz signal have greater bandwidth than the 2.4ghz signal, but optimizations in data handling, that were integrated into the 5ghz signal standard, provide great improvements to latency. That coupled with less interference on the 5ghz spectrum makes it really the only option for remote gaming over wifi.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Not only does a 5ghz signal have greater bandwidth than the 2.4ghz signal, but optimizations in data handling, that were integrated into the 5ghz signal standard, provide great improvements to latency. That coupled with less interference on the 5ghz spectrum makes it really the only option for remote gaming over wifi.

The big downside being that 5ghz has a lower range than 2.4ghz so you'll need to be close(er) to the router comparatively.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
The entry point for consoles is too extreme, as evident by the Series S success. People want cheaper stuff like this.
Agreed.

Consoles are an odd thing I will never understand - pricing. I can understand console sales slipping due to the big push in mobile gaming, but even before the mobile push there's a big brick wall when it comes to pricing. You got that $300-500 price point that seems to stick forever. Everything else from phones, to cars, to kitchen appliances, to $60 Lego sets, to PC gpus, to people over the past 20 years gobbling up $7 coffees is a-ok for big price increases. But consoles pricing has a tight band that doesn't move.
 
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MarkMe2525

Member
Again, Playstation needs to be ready, if this thing can play Call of Duty and Madden with acceptable lag, its gonna sell like cookies.

The entry point for consoles is too extreme, as evident by the Series S success. People want cheaper stuff like this.
I was in Chicago recently and I was able to put a couple hours into deathloop multi-player using the hotels wifi on my phone. I only had a 5Mbps connection, but because I was so close to a datacenter, you could have passed it off as native. Granted, I would guess only a little over half the US population live close enough to a data center to have an experience like this.
 

Three

Member
if this thing can play Call of Duty and Madden with acceptable lag, its gonna sell like cookies
"Acceptable" but they will have their asses handed to them by people playing on local hardware. Unless we get some funny business with hosts.

It's worth a shot as a tertiary platform. It's not like their entire platform is streaming like Stadia.
This puck is entirely streaming so it's the same market it's trying to expand into. It may sell more to the already xbox diehards as a secondary device in the home. Didnt work too well for PS TV though. We'll see how this goes.
 
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CeeJay

Member
Keystone

noun

The central principle or part of a policy, system, etc., on which all else depends.

Weird codename for a tertiary device.
A keystone is the top stone in an arch that is placed last prior to a wooden former being removed and is essential for the arch being self-supporting. One side of the arch could be the traditional console and the other side subscription services. The good discount deals they've been doing on growing the eco-system could be the wooden former that they will remove once the revenue is supporting the arch.

Or maybe it's just a codename picked out the hat.
 

Mattyp

Gold Member
It’s going to flop hard
Quoting for future proof.

You all don’t care if you own games anymore buying digital, kids don’t give a shit about streaming games if it gets them the latest and greatest.

Ahh the pixels are only 1080p… we used to have to pay $100 per megadrive game and play it for 12 months straight.

Kids under 12 couldn’t even tell you the difference between streaming and a digital console, this priced right will sell nuts. I’ll pick one up for my holiday house.

People bitching about hotel wifi, my 5G phone pulls nearly 1Gbps which I always use but each to their own.
 
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Warablo

Member
Prediction time.

They are going to call these sticks Xbox Series [Something]. They will be obviously cheap, as they aren't actual console hardware, to the point where they are basically given away.

Then, six months later, they will suddenly decide to start sharing Xbox Series console sales numbers, where they count each of these keychain consoles as a full Xbox Series hardware sale.

Suddenly, transparency will be super important to the Xbox division again like it was early on with the 360.
As a consumer, should I care if they count it as a console sold or not? Let the shareholders deal with that.
 
Most TV are already smart, so just connecting a controller is enough for a streaming experience. MS and Sony could basically sell just gamepads with their subscriptions. But Stadia is/was the only service available on my TV for some reason, it ran fine, with a cheap Android controller, as good as streaming can run. So the offer should improve. Some extra box seems like a rather unnecessary item. PS+ does not even run on Android/Apple, or their old PS TV or PS Vita, which could easily still be sufficient streaming devices for most games- ps4 remote play runs on them after all.
 

MarkMe2525

Member
"Acceptable" but they will have their asses handed to them by people playing on local hardware. Unless we get some funny business with hosts.
Couldn't this argument be used on many p2p networked multi-player games, where the host has the latency advantage? Deathloop is a great example.
 

Three

Member
Couldn't this argument be used on many p2p networked multi-player games, where the host has the latency advantage? Deathloop is a great example.
Yes but add on top the streaming latency/hop and those people are not going to have a good time.
 

M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
In my opinion the cloud gaming should stay on the phones, for me it's a great waste time tool, it plays well games which does not require fast movement. However one, I have unlimited internet connection throughout the EU and second I have enough HW in home to not be bound to the internet for me to play games, so I don't know how this opinion resonates with others...
 

MarkMe2525

Member
Yes but add on top the streaming latency/hop and those people are not going to have a good time.
This is just anecdotal of course, but I played deathloop on Xcloud (the reason i brought the game up) eveynight last weekend, while I was in Chicago. I performed as usual, it was a really good experience.
 

Esppiral

Member
I don't know...he is definitely hinting at something.
I think there's more to this image then meets the eye....🤔
wJrx2GI.jpg
One of those Shits, uses the silent hill font.
 

FunkMiller

Member
Power to whoever it actually works for. Here in Australia, it's a complete non-starter.

You reckon? I get 100mb from Optus in Cairns, with about 9ms ping. If the ass end of Queensland can get decent internet, then most places should be able to, surely?
 
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HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
A keystone is the top stone in an arch that is placed last prior to a wooden former being removed and is essential for the arch being self-supporting. One side of the arch could be the traditional console and the other side subscription services. The good discount deals they've been doing on growing the eco-system could be the wooden former that they will remove once the revenue is supporting the arch.

Or maybe it's just a codename picked out the hat.
Also something I heard it was picked because one of the Xbox brass liked to ski from a resort town named Keystone that is at a very high elevation and thus “always in the clouds” but who knows
 

mxbison

Member
What places are you guys travelling that you have super fast uncapped wifi? First class to the top of that stupid Dubai tower?
 

DaGwaphics

Member
People joke about the performance of Xcloud, but they have really been improving that. Tried FH5 yesterday and it was perfect, felt native with no pixelation or resolution loss. Granted that was streaming to a console, but a device that could match that performance has a chance.
 

Swift_Star

Banned
Quoting for future proof.

You all don’t care if you own games anymore buying digital, kids don’t give a shit about streaming games if it gets them the latest and greatest.

Ahh the pixels are only 1080p… we used to have to pay $100 per megadrive game and play it for 12 months straight.

Kids under 12 couldn’t even tell you the difference between streaming and a digital console, this priced right will sell nuts. I’ll pick one up for my holiday house.

People bitching about hotel wifi, my 5G phone pulls nearly 1Gbps which I always use but each to their own.
That doesn't change anything lol. It's going to flop. At the prince point you're all suggesting this will cost, it's simply better to buy a Series S. Facts.
 
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DeepEnigma

Gold Member
People joke about the performance of Xcloud, but they have really been improving that. Tried FH5 yesterday and it was perfect, felt native with no pixelation or resolution loss. Granted that was streaming to a console, but a device that could match that performance has a chance.
People joke because it's streaming. Where at one time everyone used to make fun of it, but now that some have their favorite brand(s) doing it, it now gets defense.
 
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