Keystone could be the codename of the next Xbox
Dataminer discovers a secret Xbox product
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A dataminer has uncovered evidence thatMicrosoftis working on a secret product that may be the next iteration of the Xbox. TheXbox Series Xand S may have only been out for a little more than a year, but Microsoft is likely already working hard on their successor.
DataminerTero Alhonenshared a list of Xbox products on Twitter, highlighting one entry in particular: “PRODUCT_XBOX_KEYSTONE.”
XBOX KEYSTONE pic.twitter.com/warAwisfKhMarch 9, 2022
Alhonen doesn’t say where he found the product listing or offer any comment on what he suspects Keystone refers to. However, the two entries above Keystone may offer a clue: Durango and Scarlett were the codenames for the Xbox One and the current generation of Xbox consoles, respectively.
You should contain your excitement, though. Other console codenames, Anaconda and Lockhart, the names for the Xbox Series X andXbox Series S, are both missing from the list.
Without any more to go on, it’s difficult to say what Keystone is; a mid-generation upgrade, maybe, like the Xbox One X, or the codename for the next generation of Xbox consoles - that would explain the absence of Anaconda and Lockhart, at least. Scarlett was the name for the family of consoles, not the consoles themselves. Microsoft likely is already working on its next console iterations, even though the Xbox Series X/S are little over a year old. Hardware development is a long process, so while we may not see a new console for several years, that’s not to say Microsoft hasn’t started developing it.
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer hasn’t ruled out a mid-generation upgrade either, though, on the topic of anXbox Series X redesign, he said, “There’s nothing that’s going to come out next year that’s going to make you feel like, oh, I should have waited.”
There’s also good reason to believe that Keystone isn’t a traditional console; it could be the much-rumoredXbox Streaming Stick. With Microsoft’s significant investment inXbox Game Passand Xbox Cloud Gaming, a dongle you can plug into your television and use to stream games is highly likely to be in development. Liz Hamren, CVP of gaming experiences & platforms at Xbox, revealed Microsoft is “developing standalonestreaming devicesthat you can plug into a TV or monitor, so if you have a strong internet connection, you can stream your Xbox experience.”
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Of course, while Keystone is an Xbox product, it may also be the codename for something that isn’t a physical device. It could be a new service Microsoft has planned.
That is all to say, we would advise you to temper your expectations until more information becomes available.
Alan Wen is a freelance journalist writing about video games in the form of features, interview, previews, reviews and op-eds. His work has appeared in print including Edge, Official Playstation Magazine, GamesMaster, Games TM, Wireframe, Stuff, and online including Kotaku UK, TechRadar, FANDOM, Rock Paper Shotgun, Digital Spy, The Guardian, and The Telegraph.
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