Apple TV may get a major challenge from new, smaller Xbox devices
Xbox's answer to streaming devices like Apple TV and Roku may be on its way.
This answer, according to report, may actually come packaged in two separate devices:
- The first is a smaller Chromecast-like "stick" that plugs directly into a TV, allowing users to stream movies and shows directly from the Windows store.
- The second device is rumored to be a beefier streaming box, like Apple TV, which might be able to run more demanding Windows apps in addition to the functionality offered by the streaming stick.
According to the rumor, which was originally reported on "The Sams Report," it's likely that these devices will also be able to communicate with the Xbox One, Microsoft's major video game console. For computers running Windows 10, it's already possible to stream games wirelessly to other computers on the same Wi-Fi network, but these "Xbox TV" devices will probably allow for games to be streamed to other TVs in the house as well.
Microsoft has been moving towards a world in which all of its hardware devices run on one single operating system, much like how many Apple devices already function - a unified ecosystem, if you will. The Xbox One's most recent design overhaul brought it much closer in line with Windows 10, both aesthetically and functionally, so these new devices will likely slide right into that ecosystem.
This report on Xbox's new streaming devices comes on the same day that gaming site Kotaku is reporting that there will be two new versions of the Xbox One coming out soon.
If these (now four) new devices are indeed coming out later this year, we'll likely hear more about them in June at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the year's biggest video game conference.