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It seems as though Microsoft is preparing to release a physical device that will allow users to stream a catalogue of Xbox games to their televisions, as well as giving them access to a library of movies and TV shows, without the need for a console.

According to a report by VentureBeat the device, which will be similar in form to an Amazon TV Fire Stick, could launch alongside a dedicated streaming app for owners of Samsung Smart TVs. Both the physical stick and the app are reportedly set for release within the next 12 months, as the report goes on to detail;

"In the next 12 months, Microsoft plans to release an Xbox cloud-gaming streaming device. This will likely look like an Amazon First Stick or perhaps a small, Roku-like puck. And like a Roku, the Xbox streaming device will enable you to access movie and TV services in addition to a library of games through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

If you already have a Samsung smart TV, though, you can maybe skip a separate device entirely. Microsoft is working closely with its partners at Samsung to develop an Xbox game-streaming app for that company’s televisions. That, too, should debut within the next 12 months."

If it turns out to be the case, this move is hardly a surprising one from Microsoft, they've spoken in the past of a willingness to recruit new players into the Xbox ecosystem via means other than the traditional console route, and they've also been hard at work expanding and improving the performance of the cloud-based aspect of their current Game Pass setup, which already allows players to stream games to a variety of different devices.

It seems as though the future for traditional games consoles and the way in which we access our personal games libraries could be about to get a whole lot more interesting.

Excited at the prospect of a brand new Xbox streaming device and TV app? Let us know in the comments!

[source venturebeat.com]