Xbox Off — Microsoft ends production of Kinect adapter for Xbox One

By Garrett Hulfish January 3, 2018

microsoft xbox one review console kinect angle

Hoping to attach an old Kinect to the new Xbox One X that was unwrapped over the holidays? That might be easier said than done. Microsoft has ceased production of the Kinect Adapter, the USB accessory that allows the sensor to connect to the Xbox One S, Xbox One X, or Windows PC.

This was confirmed by Microsoft on the evening of January 2, in a statement sent to Polygon.

Recommended Videos

“After careful consideration, we decided to stop manufacturing the Xbox Kinect Adapter to focus attention on launching new, higher fan-requested gaming accessories across Xbox One and Windows 10,” said the Microsoft spokesperson. When asked whether the item will come back in the future, the representative declined to discuss the product’s future, only saying that the adapter “will no longer be available.”

The end of the Kinect era began in 2016, when the updated Xbox One S launched without the proprietary Kinect port built into the console. Instead, users of the sensor needed to plug it into one of the USB ports via the Kinect Adapter. Because of the minor annoyance, Microsoft offered the adapter for free to Kinect owners during the first eight months following the console’s launch. At the end of the promotion, the adapter became available for purchase for $40. With trickling support, the Kinect itself was eventually discontinued in October 2017.

With the scarcity of the Kinect Adapter, finding one comes at a high price. Third-party sellers on Amazon are offering new adapters for almost $300. That is more than seven times the original retail price, and about $100 more than a new Xbox One S.

For most gamers, this means that they can no longer play any Xbox One games that require the sensor. Certain first-party Kinect titles, including Zoo Tycoon, Disneyland Adventures, and Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure have been re-released without Kinect features. And for those who mainly used Kinect for voice navigation and Cortana functionality, neither of those require Kinect. Except for “Hey Cortana, Xbox on,” all commands work with any headset microphone.

Those who might be affected most, unfortunately, are rehabilitation patients. Companies like Reflexion Health have given the Kinect a second life as a medical device, with over 600 patients using it for physical therapy.

Topics

Garrett Hulfish

Contributor

Garrett is the kind of guy who tells you about all the tech you haven't heard of yet. He also knows too much about other…

Gaming

One of my favorite 2022 games just came to Xbox Game Pass, and you need to try it

Arcade cabinets stand in a room in Arcade Paradise.

When I think back to 2022, there are a ton of critically acclaimed games that stick with me. Naturally, I spent countless hours adventuring through the Lands Between in Elden Ring. Splatoon 3 and Vampire Survivors ate up my entire summer, while I still think about Pentiment and Immortality months later. There's one lesser-known game, though, that was a go-to I kept coming back to throughout the year despite the fact that it wasn't talked about nearly as much as any of those games.

That would be Arcade Paradise, a quiet 2022 standout that's now available on Xbox Game Pass today. Developed by Nosebleed Interactive, it's a unique simulation game that balances 90s nostalgia with a thoughtful look at the line between hobby and work. If you spent any time during your youth hanging around arcades, you'll want to give it a try while it's on Game Pass.

Gaming

FTC v. Microsoft: 5 surprising revelations from the court hearing that you need to know

Call of Duty Warzone screenshot of 3 characters walking towards the camera.

We have reached an inflection point in Microsoft’s efforts to acquire Call of Duty and World of Warcraft publisher Activision Blizzard as the FTC’s lawsuit to stop it went before a judge. Representatives from Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Google, and Nvidia chimed in during the hearing, as did a variety of analysts presenting data to help determine whether or not this acquisition will hurt competition in the console and cloud gaming markets.
As the video game industry is quite buttoned-up and secretive, this trial has given us an unprecedented look behind the curtain at Xbox, PlayStation, and Activision’s motivations, past claims and mistakes they made, and more. In a case filled with revelations, these five details were a particularly illuminating look into the video game industry's inner workings.
Microsoft revealed its real cloud gaming motivation

Since 2019, Microsoft has been one of the video game industry’s biggest purveyors of cloud gaming alongside the likes of Nvidia, Amazon, and Google. It previously claimed that its primary goal with this was to get its hardcore games like Halo in front of as many people as possible, but this trial has revealed a secondary motivation. Microsoft hoped cloud gaming would give them an edge in the mobile gaming market, where Xbox has struggled to establish itself.
“We built xCloud knowing that on Xbox we have many games that run on our console,” Head of Xbox Phil Spencer explained. “There are many users around the world that have phones that aren’t able to play those games, nor will they be. Our strategy was to put consoles in our data centers to stream those consoles to a mobile phone, so if someone wanted to play Halo on a mobile phone, they would have access to those games through streaming.
It didn’t work out that way, though. Xbox’s VP of Game Creator Experience, Sarah Bond, testified that the most common use for cloud gaming is not mobile play but console players trying out a game before or during a download. Because cloud gaming is a sticking point for the CMA, Microsoft wants to downplay its relevancy to Xbox’s business, but, as I wrote in April, it might be too late for them to do that. Even if cloud gaming’s future is as a supplementary service on consoles, it’s sticking around as one of the central aspects of dissent against the acquisition. The future of cloud gaming is just playing out in a way no one predicted when it re-rose to prominence four years ago.
Activision regrets not putting Call of Duty on Nintendo Switch

Gaming

The best multiplayer games on the Xbox Series X

how to get ashen keys in sea of thieves chests

Multiplayer games are certainly at their best on the current-gen systems. With the power of the Xbox Series X, we're seeing online experiences that were never possible before. Killer graphics, smoother frame rates, and slick loading screens make this the best time to jump into a game with your friends. The only question becomes: What game will you play?

Rather than being strapped for choices, you'll find that there are way too many options for multiplayer experiences on the Series X. Rather than waste your time and money on a lackluster or half-baked title, check out this list of the best multiplayer games that you and your friends should jump into.