The Kinect is now even deader than before, as Microsoft shelves adapters for Xbox One S and X
Xbox One fans wanting to use Kinect features should move to snap up remaining adapter stock.
Microsoft has ceased production of the adapters needed to use Kinect cameras with newer model Xbox Ones.
The adapters are required for Xbox One S and Xbox One X, which lack the unique proprietary port seen in launch model Xbox One consoles.
"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," Microsoft said in a statement issued to Polygon.
The Kinect adapter was offered free in the months following the Xbox One S launch in 2016 before going on sale for $40 thereafter. It has reportedly been out of stock at all the usual retailers - Microsoft and big chain speciality stores - for several months.
Although there haven't been any notable Kinect or even Kinect-optional releases for quite some time, the camera still serves as a platform for voice commands for your console, if that sort of thing floats your boat and doesn't trigger your Alexa, and can serve as a chat microphone in a pinch. If you want to take advantage of these features, better see if you can grab one somewhere before they're all gone - forever.
Both the original Xbox 360 Kinect and its Xbox One successor were championed at Microsoft by Don Mattrick, and supposedly heralded a new era of accessible gaming. Unfortunately the devices proved pretty finicky (neither really worked well in my tiny, dim living room) and the games on offer tended to have short lifespans. After Mattrick's departure, new Xbox boss Phil Spencer rapidly dropped support for Kinect to focus on other features, like backwards compatibility and cross-play with Windows 10.
If you're an Xbox kind of cat, do you ever use Kinect? I quite liked Dance Central when I played it in other people's houses, but none of the voice stuff ever worked with my accent and pitch.