Microsoft Removes Kinect from Xbox One Bundles

In this story from 2014, our writer looks at Microsoft removing Kinect from certain Xbox One bundles.


Published: May 13, 2014 1:56 PM /

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The Kinect peripheral for the Xbox One

Microsoft's Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has announced that a $399 version of Xbox One will soon be available. Starting June 9th, customers will be able to purchase a Kinectless version of the Xbox One.

Back in February, Microsoft announced that it wouldn't be offering Xbox One without Kinect, stating that "Kinect remains an important part of our vision" and that it will "continue to innovate on Kinect" because it is an "important differentiator for us."

The Xbox One console alongside a controller and the Kinect peripheral

However, with recent news of the PS4 dominating the Xbox One in sales, it's no surprise that Microsoft has moved to drop the device in order to competitively price the Xbox.

Kinect will now be sold seperately, and without any compelling software to make the device a necessity, the decision seems like a no-brainer. Now that it's not guaranteed that every Xbox One user will have Kinect, one has to wonder if developers will have any incentive to incorporate its use in games at all.

 

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I'm a college student and aspiring video game journalist. My hobbies include excessively listening to the Persona 4 soundtrack, being super straight-… More about JohnPaul