Microsoft has opted to release an Xbox app for Samsung TVs instead of the online-only Xbox streaming device.

At a recent Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live Conference, Xbox boss Phil Spencer claimed Microsoft will probably launch a standalone streaming device at some point, but it’s “years away” from now.

“Keystone is something that we were incubating internally,” he told the audience in California.

“It’s a streaming console. There’s no local play low cost, plug it into a television and you’ll be able to stream the Xbox games that are available,” he said. “We instead pivoted in late spring to working with Samsung. We put an app on Samsung TVs so that you can play Xbox games.”

Spencer said the console is still under development at Microsoft and would enable gamers to play the available games within the Xbox Cloud Gaming library.

Given that Xbox Game Pass subscription is fairly profitable, making up to 15 per cent of Microsoft’s Xbox content and services revenue, the Keystone cloud-streaming device might have had a chance of making it big if released.

However, its launch has been delayed indefinitely with no word on when it might actually be released.

Spencer said Microsoft is all about giving gamers the choice about where they play but said there are already plenty of options.

“Giving people choice – whether they want to play on their tablet, on their smart TV, on Xbox, a PC – we think that’s really critical to where we’re going,” he said.

The streaming device does exist as it was pictured in Spencer’s office a few weeks back which he claimed is just the prototype.

“Will we do a streaming device at some point? I suspect we will, but it’s years away. I still have the prototype – it sits on the shelf behind my computer.”

Spencer also admitted that Microsoft may be forced to raise the prices of its console and services after the holidays, much to the chagrin of gamers.