Microsoft is developing a set-top box

According to foreign media reports, Microsoft has been developing set-top box equipment for streaming video playback and other entertainment activities, but it is unclear whether the company will launch the product.

Informed sources said that the design of the product has undergone several iterations, and the recent prototype supports Microsoft Kinect somatosensory control technology.

A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment.

Once launched, Microsoft's set-top box products will compete with similar products from Apple, Roku and others. Informed sources pointed out that Microsoft intends to build a common experience across multiple products running its software, emulating Apple’s practice of establishing connections between iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple TV set-top boxes.

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console, which was launched in 2005, currently starts at US$199. If it orders two years of Xbox Live social networking service, it’s US$99. Set-top box prices are usually lower than gaming machines. If Apple TV is not bundled with online services, it costs $99 and Roku's products start at $49.

For consumers who want to get Xbox Live services, Microsoft set-top boxes will be a cheaper option than Xbox 360. One of the insiders said that, on the other hand, the $99 Xbox 360 would weigh on the demand for set-top boxes.

Although Microsoft's set-top box project is still uncertain, the company is still paving the way for reducing the difficulty of application and game development. Several sources familiar with Microsoft's development plan said that the company has been telling each team to use Microsoft's recently developed programming specification to write applications. This move is intended to facilitate developers to develop Xbox, smart phones, and Windows that are based on Microsoft software. PC application.

Microsoft said it will release a new generation of Xbox on May 21. It is rumored that the product will be launched before the holiday shopping season in time to confront the Sony PlayStation 4.