Skip to main content

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

microsoft xbox one review console kinect angle
Image used with permission by copyright holder
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.

Garrett Hulfish
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…
3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (November 1-3)
xbox game pass recommendations november 1 throne and liberty

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was a monumental addition to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate last week, so no week of additions to the service will live up to that for a while. Still, that didn't stop some more games from trickling onto Microsoft's subscription service in the wake of the latest Call of Duty. In fact, the games that came to the service were quite good. If you're wondering what you should be checking out next as a Game Pass subscriber after you're done with Black Ops 6, consider trying one of these games.
Ashen
ASHEN | Gamescom 2018 Gameplay

In July, A44 released Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, and it was part of Xbox Game Pass from day one. Now, the studio has brought its previous Soulslike to the subscription service. Originally released in 2018, Ashen stood out from the crowd at the time thanks to its distinct, grayish cel-shaded look and open-world design years before Elden Ring came out. Ashen still stands as one of the best indie Soulslikes ever released, so those who have never played it before should give it a shot now that it's on Xbox Game Pass. It'll also make for an enjoyable Game Pass Soulslike double-feature with Flintlock.

Read more
Black Ops 6 isn’t the only Activision Blizzard game coming to Xbox Game Pass this month
A soldier stands outside in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

It's October, which means it's Call of Duty season for Xbox and Activision. So expectedly, Xbox Game Pass' offerings for the second half of the month into November are all about Activision Blizzard.

October 25 is the big day for Call of Duty fans. The next entry in the shooter series, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, is hitting cloud, console, and PC for Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. Modern Warfare 3, which was the first Call of Duty game added to the service in July, is also specifically coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming on October 25, along with Call of Duty Warzone.

Read more
After years of promises, Xbox might let you stream games you own
An Xbox controller being held up in front of an Xbox Series S

Xbox may soon be testing the ability to let you stream games you own over Cloud Streaming, instead of limiting you to just titles available in Xbox Game Pass.

The Verge's Tom Warren reports that the functionality is a part of Project Lapland, and will be coming to the Xbox Insider program in November. Barring any problems, it'll release to more users after that. Based on previous statements, it'll likely only be available to Ultimate subscribers.

Read more