Microsoft Ends Windows 10 Kinect Adaptor Production

Microsoft has hammered a final nail into the coffin of Kinect by discontinuing production of the adaptor that connects the smart camera to Xbox and Windows devices.

Kinect was once seen as a critical part of Microsoft’s future, both in the entertainment and business world, and was sold with every Xbox One system at launch. However reception for the accessory was lukewarm and it was felt that it made the console far too expensive.

Eventually, Microsoft sold Xbox One units without the Kinect and updated games that required the peripheral. Gesture controls were dropped from the platform and voice navigation and Cortana do not need the Kinect to work.

Microsoft Kinect

The Kinect Adapter had been offered for free to Xbox One S users after Microsoft dropped the proprietary port from newer models. However after eight months the offer ended and the adaptor was instead sold for $39.99.

Production of the Kinect itself ceased back in October and it now appears as though Microsoft ahs firmly moved onto other projects such as Mixed Reality and HoloLens.

“Manufacturing for Kinect for Xbox One has ended but it is not the end of the journey for the technology,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Silicon. “Kinect continues to delight tens of millions of Xbox owners and Kinect innovations live on in Xbox One, Windows 10, Cortana, Windows Holographic and future technologies.”

Several business applications have been built using Kinect platform and Microsoft is encouraging developers to migrate away from Kinect hardware to something like Intel’s RealSense depth cameras. It says Kinect’s technology continues with HoloLens, Cortana and Windows Hello biometrics and will continue to support the Kinect for Windows SDK.

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