Project Keystone: Doomed Xbox cloud gaming console pictured in patent filing

Microsoft is all set to unveil its first-ever handheld console in the coming months, complete with the ability to run games natively. Before that, it had a cloud-based offerings in the works, presumably as a cheaper Xbox Series S|X alternative. It was codenamed Project Keystone, but never saw the light of day. Windows Central dug up a patent filing that shows what the console would have looked like.

Because no real-world images of Project Keystone exist, we have to make do with illustrations. Essentially, it is a barebones plastic box with an RJ45 Ethernet jack, an HDMI port and a power plug. At the front, there's a USB-A port and an Xbox logo that presumably doubles up at the power button. Lastly, there's a pairing button for your Xbox controller on the side.

Sony's PlayStation Portal was found to run a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, and it would be reasonable to assume Project Keystone would have employed a similar tier of hardware. Apparently, it got canned because Microsoft couldn't get it price low enough. In retrospect, that's not a bad thing as it would be little more than e-waste in a couple of years.