Did Microsoft's Xbox boss leak Microsoft's streaming-only Game Pass device? Well, it certainly seems so.
In an image posted to Twitter, Phil Spencer seems to have included a little Xbox device. Gamers were quick to spot it, leading the Official Xbox to post: "Now what did we say about putting old prototypes on your shelf boss".
Did Spencer just leak Project Keystone?
Keystone is Microsoft's much-rumoured Game Pass streamer, a dongle that'll turn the best TVs and some of the worst ones too into fully-fledged gaming consoles via the power of cloud gaming. It won't be as powerful or as expensive as an Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X, but it doesn't need to be: all the heavy lifting is carried out by Microsoft's servers.
Microsoft has previously confirmed that Keystone is real and a priority for the company, but other than that it's kept awfully quiet. So you can see why Spencer's tweet has caused some excitement.
Why this looks like a genuine leak
It's possible, but highly unlikely, that Phil Spencer accidentally posted a picture that just happened to have an Xbox prototype on it. But heads of massive corporations' biggest divisions don't tend to make mistakes like that.
If it is a prototype, it isn't a prototype of the Series S or Series X: it's far too small, and doesn't look remotely like any of the dev kits Microsoft made before finishing those Xboxes' designs. It's closer in size to an Xbox controller than to an actual Xbox.
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
What it does look like, though, is a box to connect to a TV. Which of course is what Keystone is going to be. So the smart money says that this is either a prototype of Keystone that Microsoft has since abandoned – we know that earlier this year the firm decided to change direction on the hardware – or it's a sneaky leak of the new version.
Whatever the explanation, Microsoft's Xbox dongle can't be too far away: the Xbox TV app is already on Samsung TVs, and Logitech's new handheld games console runs Xbox cloud gaming too. The cloud bit is here and it works; all we need now is the hardware to run it on devices that don't already support it.
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
You could win an Xbox Series X in gold, but Microsoft will make you work for it
The exclusive Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Xbox could be yours
By Rik Henderson Published
-
How to choose a beard trimmer for shorter beards: buying advice to style your stubble
Which trimmer should you choose for short beards? T3 explains in this helpful guide
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
You could win an Xbox Series X in gold, but Microsoft will make you work for it
The exclusive Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Xbox could be yours
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Your Xbox gets a neat new trick that could save a lot of time
Updates will finally be a bit easier
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Xbox Game Pass losing huge AAA action game – you only have weeks left to play
Gotham Knights is being removed from the Xbox Game Pass lineup, so play it while you still can
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Xbox Game Pass Standard will get day one games, just not on day one
More details emerge on the new Xbox Game Pass tier
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
New Xbox consoles with upgraded features coming soon – pre-orders open now
Xbox shakes things up with an expanded console range
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Xbox Game Pass gets the best version of one of the best shooters of all time... for free
Available to download now
By Rik Henderson Published
-
An Xbox Switch as a Series X replacement isn't a crazy idea – but experts are unsure
Xbox is almost certainly working on a gaming handheld, but will it be its next-gen console?
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Xbox Game Pass members getting hard-hitting open-world remake for free
Crash Bandicoot also joins the fun
By Rik Henderson Last updated