Xbox Streaming Stick: release window and everything we know so far

techradar.com:

Microsoft's working on an Xbox Streaming Stick, which is codenamed Keystone, and it's intended to bring Xbox Game Pass to as many homes as it possibly can.

While the feeling of unboxing a new console like the Xbox Series X or PS5 for the first time remains unmatched, the age of traditional consoles could be drawing to a close. With cloud gaming going from strength to strength, and Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now integrating the company’s Xbox Cloud Gaming streaming service, an Xbox Streaming Stick looks like the next step.

We say big, but it could physically be the company’s smallest device yet, which is certainly impressive considering how small the Xbox Series S is. An Xbox Streaming Stick would have much in common with a Roku Streaming Stick or Amazon Fire TV Stick than it does an Xbox Series X. But how will this work, when could we see it, and would it be worth waiting for?

The first part of the puzzle sits with Microsoft’s cloud gaming technology, known as Xbox Cloud Gaming. Now officially integrated into the Xbox app for smartphones and tablets, as well as being available on PC, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription lets you stream games instantly from the cloud on mobile, consoles, and computer devices. 

Xbox Cloud Gaming will also soon become a feature of the regular Xbox console hardware, from the Xbox Series X right down to last-generation Xbox One consoles, allowing players to play the latest, most advanced games via the power of their internet connections no matter how old their device is, and bypass the initial download waits usually required to jump into a game.

At E3 2021, Microsoft revealed its intentions to move beyond its traditional console hardware platforms for its cloud gaming services.

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