A leaked patent gives us our first detailed look at Xbox’s canceled Keystone cloud console
The patent for Xbox’s Keystone cloud console has been leaked, giving us our first detailed look at the canceled device.
First noted by Windows Centralthe patent The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website shows several blueprint images of the Xbox console and confirms that the patent was filed in June 2022.
Looking at the images provided, it’s clear that the device – codenamed Project Keystone – would have been a smaller, box-shaped design with a rounded top reminiscent of the PlayStation 1, into which you would insert the game disc.
However, because the Keystone was intended as a cloud console, there is no opening on the box to insert games. The top and front of the device also feature the Xbox logo, with a pair of minimalist buttons on either side.
There also appears to be some ventilation ports under the box, like on the Xbox Series
A detailed look at the canceled Xbox ‘Keystone’ streaming console via patent https://t.co/3ysfAYmL26https://t.co/WFKbNOo9We pic.twitter.com/DJrV2zSssGJune 26, 2024
The patent images are all in black and white, so it’s unclear what color the console would have been, but looking back at Xbox history, it’s likely that Project Keystone would have been black or white.
Microsoft announced it was working on a new console in 2021, describing it at the time as a dedicated streaming device for Xbox Game Pass. It wasn’t until 2022 that we received confirmation from a dataminer that it was called Project Keystone.
Unfortunately, Xbox boss Phil Spencer confirmed later that year that the project had been scrapped (via The edge) due to cost and due to the inability to reduce the console to a salable price for customers. According to Spencer, he wanted Keystone to cost between $99 and $129.
Rumors of a possible Xbox handheld console have been swirling for a while now, and while Xbox hasn’t formally revealed anything yet, it recently announced brand new Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S models.