There have been plenty of rumors suggesting Amazon will offer a set-top box of its own, but according to new reports, it appears the e-commerce giant might be readying a streaming device similar in form and function to Google's nifty Chromecast dongle. More than just for streaming movies and TV shows, those close to the situation say it'll also be able to stream full PC games.

The pre-release speculation is in full swing here. Citing "multiple sources familiar with the device," TechCrunch says Amazon's upcoming dongle might even be able to compete with dedicated game consoles, including the Xbox and PlayStation. There's no mention of whether the sources are referring to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 or older models, but either way, color us skeptical on that claim.


In any event, sources say Amazon's streaming game initiative will be somewhat similar to OnLive's remote service as opposed to local streaming such as Nvidia's Shield platform. Games are said to be top titles streamed at 30 frames per second.

Building a device similar to Chromecast is the easy part, but if Amazon does manage to incorporate high-end gaming into the mix, it could potentially dominate the set-top market. There's also an opportunity for Amazon to further promote its Prime service, as this could be yet another benefit for its members.