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Microsoft Developing Low-Cost Xbox Streaming Dongle That Could Rival Apple TV

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In news that could weigh heavily on the future success of Apple TV, Microsoft has confirmed it is working to bring an affordable streaming device to market that would allow users to play Xbox games without the need for a full-blown console.

xbox-series-x-controller-microsoft.jpg

It has been suggested for years that Microsoft wants to make gaming accessible to more people by cutting out the need to invest in a pricey console. The Xbox Cloud Gaming platform, which works on many devices including iPhone and iPad, is the company's software-based answer to that challenge, but it appears Microsoft isn't stopping there.

Speaking to Windows Central, Microsoft revealed it is actively working on new Xbox hardware. Codenamed "Keystone," the streaming device sounds similar to Chromecast and Google Stadia in that it will connect to any TV or monitor via HDMI, allowing users to tap into Microsoft's vast games catalog, as well as any other streaming content it chooses to host.

The company didn't provide any more details about the dongle or a potential launch date, but said that it had recently taken the decision to "pivot away" from its original vision for the device, which would allow it to "deliver Xbox Cloud Gaming to more players around the world in the future."
Along with access to triple-A console games, Microsoft's device is likely to double as a set-top box on which users can access popular streaming services as well as the company's own media apps like Microsoft Movies & TV.

Apple at one point was working on a low-cost Apple TV dongle, but those plans have been abandoned. Apple is now planning to launch a new version of the Apple TV in the second half of 2022, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo believes that the new Apple TV will have an improved cost structure, which suggests a lower price point than the current Apple TV (from $179) that is more competitive with other streaming media players.

Whatever the next iteration of Apple TV looks like, Apple's subscription-based gaming platform Apple Arcade will struggle to compete with a Microsoft dongle that can stream titles including Fortnite, Halo, Need for Speed, The Sims, and many other popular Xbox games.

Article Link: Microsoft Developing Low-Cost Xbox Streaming Dongle That Could Rival Apple TV
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/05/27/microsoft-working-on-xbox-streaming-stick/
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The current Apple TV is such a delusional product at this point that it has no competition. The XBOX Series S already beats it. It's almost the same price and it comes with a controller and 500GB of storage. So what do you want: A current-gen gaming console or a box that does the same stuff your smart TV already does
 
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Apple TV doesn’t set the bar very high as a rival. It’s pretty decent if you live solely inside Apple’s bubble and don’t mind half-baked media software with zero library management features, but that’s about where it ends. It’s functional at best and really not that great at any one thing. Should be half the price they ask for it.
 
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Firstly, no this won’t be challenging the Apple TV, it will be focused on game streaming, something the Apple TV can't do, and secondly it’ll cost a hell of a lot less then the Apple TV.

And for those claiming it will fail, I suggest you take a look at the games market, Xbox has been rather successful at that since Game Pass launched.. it isn’t going to fail against Apple because they aren’t even competing against Apple. It’s like claiming every single phone is competing with the Apple TV because they have streaming apps on them.

EDIT: I say this as a happy 2021 Apple TV4K and Xbox Series X owner.
 
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JustSomebody12 said:
Apple would have boosted Apple TVs sales a lot if they had allowed cloud gaming on it.

Especially during the console shortages' peak.
Click to expand...
Totally agree, lockdowns could have been a huge success for Apple TV and gaming on Apple, too bad they missed the ball.
and 1989 others said:
Microsoft also developed a portable music system to rival the iPod. That went well.

Stick to making proper consoles Microsoft, you do it well.
Click to expand...
Welcome to 2022, where it's not the same Apple and not the same Microsoft.

Apple also developed a tablet before and "That went well" so they should have never made a new tablet right?

Every company has some bad products, some more than others because they risk more.

Suggesting a company should stick only to what they do well now it shortsighted, "skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been", sometimes you'll nail it, some other you'll miss it, but standing still is not an option.

EDIT:
Nokia and Blackberry sticked with making proper phones wich was their core business, ask them how well it went to stick with what they did well.
 
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This is like saying Apple converting iPhone to have USB-C is going to have a seismic impact to the sale of Facebook’s smartphones…
 
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Not sure how anyone can sit there and try and say anything will compete with the Apple TV. It's a device in its own tiny little vanity category that serves no genuine purpose or reason for existing.

If you're buying it as a streaming tv box, you're overpaying as theres so many better options that cost a fraction.

If you're buying it for gaming well...why?

To think that it's "competing" with anything at this point is frankly delusional.
 
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matt_and_187_like_this said:
The current Apple TV is such a delusional product at this point that it has no competition. The XBOX Series S already beats it. It's almost the same price and it comes with a controller and 500GB of storage. So what do you want: A current-gen gaming console or a box that does the same stuff your smart TV already does
Click to expand...
We watch DirecTV Stream for our live television services. If you want a good experience, you want to avoid the app built into the TV so we use an AppleTV instead. The XBox might work as well, my reply is not a counter to your statement but wanted to share the built in TV apps are not that great, at least not for us so we don't use them. The choices should be XBox or AppleTV in your example, not the smart TV itself.
 
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chkay said:
Not sure how anyone can sit there and try and say anything will compete with the Apple TV. It's a device in its own tiny little vanity category that serves no genuine purpose or reason for existing.

If you're buying it as a streaming tv box, you're overpaying as theres so many better options that cost a fraction.

If you're buying it for gaming well...why?

To think that it's "competing" with anything at this point is frankly delusional.
Click to expand...
We have them around the house for TV streaming. The first two we picked up on promotions that gave us a free AppleTV if we use a subscription we were going to use anyhow so free was a good option. The others we have bought since then were to match the remote experience. All TVs have the same interaction which sounds trivial but when you get older its one of the things you look for in the use of common items.
 
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They just need a native app in the tv like Netflix and that will work fine!

I'm testing the Beta for the second time with a connection of 100 Mbit/s, and now it's working very well, I got some issue only with some games ( all the Battlefield series ) the others games work fine and we re-game all the Gear of War in co-op and it's was perfect!

So why adding this kind of Streaming Dongle and using more components when some of them become “ rare “
 
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Pezimak said:
Firstly, no this won’t be challenging the Apple TV, it will be focused on game streaming, something the Apple TV can't do, and secondly it’ll cost a hell of a lot less then the Apple TV.

And for those claiming it will fail, I suggest you take a look at the games market, Xbox has been rather successful at that since Game Pass launched.. it isn’t going to fail against Apple because they aren’t even competing against Apple. It’s like claiming every single phone is competing with the Apple TV because they have streaming apps on them.

EDIT: I say this as a happy 2021 Apple TV4K and Xbox Series X owner.
Click to expand...

Yeah it's a weird comparison, this is competition for Google Stadia and Nvidia GFN.
 
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matt_and_187_like_this said:
So what do you want: A current-gen gaming console or a box that does the same stuff your smart TV already does
Click to expand...

A device that streams video and connects to my NAS to stream ripped and saved shows; and is instant on, and doesn't require a lot of shelf space. Apple TV does that just fine; without the complications of a console. Airplay is a bonus as well.

gsmornot said:
We have them around the house for TV streaming. The first two we picked up on promotions that gave us a free AppleTV if we use a subscription we were going to use anyhow so free was a good option. The others we have bought since then were to match the remote experience. All TVs have the same interaction which sounds trivial but when you get older its one of the things you look for in the use of common items.
Click to expand...

Same here, I got two as well. Same interface everywhere, decent controller that everyone understands, and is small and unobtrusive.

A number of streaming devices do that, and since I got the ATVs for free I stuck with tehm. I have a Firestick and some Rokus I also got for free but mixing them is a pain since you need to use different interfaces and controllers.
 
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matt_and_187_like_this said:
The current Apple TV is such a delusional product at this point that it has no competition. The XBOX Series S already beats it. It's almost the same price and it comes with a controller and 500GB of storage. So what do you want: A current-gen gaming console or a box that does the same stuff your smart TV already does
Click to expand...
As someone who owns an Apple TV and series X. Consoles are decent streaming devices but aren’t as good as any of the dedicated ones. Most tv streaming apps are awful and after a few years are extremely laggy since many manufacturers stop giving updates
 
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matt_and_187_like_this said:
The current Apple TV is such a delusional product at this point that it has no competition. The XBOX Series S already beats it. It's almost the same price and it comes with a controller and 500GB of storage. So what do you want: A current-gen gaming console or a box that does the same stuff your smart TV already does
Click to expand...
The series s is almost twice the price
 
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