Xbox “Keystone” Streaming Box Prototype Spotted on Phil Spencer’s Infamous Shelf

For some time now, we’ve been hearing that Microsoft is working on an Xbox streaming box, codenamed “Keystone,” for those who want to take advantage of Xbox Cloud Gaming without the expense of a full console. Well, an official reveal may be coming soon, as Phil Spencer’s infamous shelf has struck again.

For those who haven’t been keeping up, Phil Spencer has a penchant for hiding easter eggs on the shelves in his home and office. For instance, the first public appearance of the Xbox Series S was on Spencer’s shelf during a livestream. He also hinted at a collaboration with Hideo Kojima before it was officially unveiled.

Well, Spencer recently posted a look at a shelf in his office, decorated to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Fallout franchise, but people are most interested in something hidden away on the top shelf.

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. pic.twitter.com/hGoN1sAQRK

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) October 10, 2022

See that small white box? Many, including Windows Central’s Tom Warren, have IDed it as the Xbox streaming box. With the hint quickly picked up on, the official Xbox Twitter account stepped in to identify it as an “old prototype.”

Now what did we say about putting old prototypes on your shelf boss

— Xbox (@Xbox) October 10, 2022

This jives with Microsoft’s statement earlier this year that they had decided to “pivot away” from the in-development version of the hardware.

“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. We will take our learnings and 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.”

Of course, mention of the “current iteration” of Keystone indicates there will likely be a future version, and as we’ve learned, Phil doesn’t put easter eggs on his shelf for no reason. So yeah, hopefully, some fresh news about the Xbox streaming box comes soon.

What do you think? Is an Xbox streaming box something you’d be interested in?