The dedicated PC sensor had become redundant
Production of the Kinect for Windows v2 sensor has now ceased. Coming some nine months after the $200 PC-compatible variant of Xbox One's powerful motion-sensing camera first began shipping, Microsoft says the move is designed to allow it to “consolidate the Kinect for Windows experience around a single sensor": the $150 Kinect for Xbox One camera.
In a hugely unpopular move at the start of the Xbox One’s life cycle, Microsoft tried hard to shove the sensor down console gamers' throats by inextricably bundling it with the console. But once it became clear the move had backfired rather hopelessly, the company backed down and decoupled the two in June 2014. The availability of a cheaper, Kinect-free Xbox One caused an immediate increase in the console’s sales.
Nonetheless, the Redmond-based firm insists demand for its Kinect sensors, especially among the developer community, remains strong and has reached "unprecedented" levels in recent months. It’s just that the dedicated Windows sensor had become redundant following the launch of the Kinect Adapter, a $50 add-on that allows an ordinary Kinect for Xbox One camera to interface with a Windows 8/8.1 PC.
In a bid to make things simpler for developers, Microsoft is now going to focus solely on the adapter, the company said in a recent blog post, adding however that it remains dedicated to supporting existing Kinect for Windows v2 sensors.
"Microsoft remains committed to Kinect as a development platform on both Xbox and Windows," the company reassured Kinect developers. "We are excited to continue working with the developer community to create and deploy applications that allow users to interact naturally with computers through gestures and speech, and continue to see the Kinect sensor inspire vibrant and innovative commercial experiences in multiple industries, including retail, education, healthcare, education, and manufacturing.”
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