Xbox confirms Phil Spencer shared an old prototype of streaming device

Xbox chief Phil Spencer seemed to reveal the design of Xbox’s upcoming cloud-focused game-streaming device in a tweet celebrating Fallout’s 25th anniversary, but a Microsoft spokesperson explained in a tweet to Digital Trends that this is just an old prototype. “The device on Phil’s shelf was an old prototype of Keystone,” the Xbox representative explained. “Earlier this year, we announced that we made the decision to pivot away from the current iteration of Keystone and are taking our learnings to refocus our efforts on a new approach that will allow us to deliver Xbox Cloud Gaming to more players around the world in the future. We have nothing more to share today.”  In the tweet, Spencer congratulated Bethesda and its Fallout team for hitting this milestone and included a picture of his shelf that contains some Fallout merch. Spencer’s followers quickly spotted a small, never-before-seen white Xbox device on the top shelf underneath a large sword. This small piece of technology is the old version of a game-streaming device Microsoft was developing code-named Keystone. Vault Boy left the shelter and stopped by my office to celebrate the #Fallout25 Anniversary. Congratulations to the @Fallout @Bethesda teams on this major milestone for an iconic franchise. Microsoft affirmed that Keystone was in development to Windows Central earlier this year, but also mentioned that Xbox decided to “pivot away from the current iteration” of the device. “We’ve been working on a game-streaming device, code name Keystone, that could be connected to any TV or monitor without the need for a console,” a spokesperson told Windows Central in May 2022. “As part of any technical journey, we are constantly evaluating our efforts, reviewing our learnings, and ensuring we are bringing value to our customers. We have made the decision to pivot away from the current iteration of the Keystone device.” According to Microsoft, the device in Phil Spencer’s photo is what Xbox planned on releasing before deciding to “refocus our efforts on a new approach.” It’s not a surprise that people thought this was going to actually be what Microsoft released, as Spencer also teased the Xbox Series S and Kojima Productions collaboration by hiding them on his shelf. For now, we’ll just have to wait until Microsoft decides to share more about its new approach.  Kojima Productions made a surprise announcement Thursday that Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now available on Xbox Series X/S, as well as Windows PC, just one day ahead of the game’s five-year anniversary. “It is my pleasure to finally announce that Death Stranding Director’s Cut will be delivered to Xbox players. I would like to thank all the fans who have stayed connected with us as well as everyone in the Xbox community who have been patiently waiting,” Kojima told press (as reported by IGN).”Kojima Productions (Death Stranding) will continue to connect more and more players around the world, so please stay tuned.” Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was a monumental addition to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate last week, so no week of additions to the service will live up to that for a while. Still, that didn’t stop some more games from trickling onto Microsoft’s subscription service in the wake of the latest Call of Duty. In fact, the games that came to the service were quite good. If you’re wondering what you should be checking out next as a Game Pass subscriber after you’re done with Black Ops 6, consider trying one of these games.
Ashen
In July, A44 released Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, and it was part of Xbox Game Pass from day one. Now, the studio has brought its previous Soulslike to the subscription service. Originally released in 2018, Ashen stood out from the crowd at the time thanks to its distinct, grayish cel-shaded look and open-world design years before Elden Ring came out. Ashen still stands as one of the best indie Soulslikes ever released, so those who have never played it before should give it a shot now that it’s on Xbox Game Pass. It’ll also make for an enjoyable Game Pass Soulslike double-feature with Flintlock. First-party games are finally getting the big, consistent presence on Xbox Game Pass that we’ve been hoping for. In September alone, Age of Mythology: Retold and Ara: History Untold have made their way into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, while Overwatch 2 started to give a ton of benefits to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. This is bound to only continue ramping up in the coming months as games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 release and more back catalog Activision games come to the service. Simply put, there’s going to be a lot to enjoy on Xbox Game Pass. That’s why I recommend you check out two of these first-party games, as well as an underrated indie strategy game sequel. this weekend
Overwatch 2 Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers should connect their account to Battle.net because a lot of perks for subscribers came to the free-to-play hero shooter Overwatch 2 earlier this month. Cardboard Reinhardt, Turtleship D.Va, Cyberdragon Hanzo, Street Runner Genji, Bee Mercy, and Cleric Lifeweaver skins, as well as 30 Mythic Prisms, can be permanently redeemed before November 11. A rotating collection of other cosmetics and a 10% XP boost are available indefinitely to Xbox Game Pass subscribers. You can access these perks across any platforms that Overwatch 2 is on, including PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.
Ara: History Untold