No more Kinect adapters

[Bobvfr]

Just read a story in MSN News that Microsoft have discontinued making the Kinect adapter.

I have just bought an Xbox One X and was lucky as I had an adapter from when I used a Kinect as a web cam.

I would NOT have bought the X if I couldn't have used the Kinect on it.

I am saddened by this decision as it again shows Microsoft's ability to kick loyal customers in the teeth, why not let someone else build them and announce that at the same time, rather than just exit the market and be accused of being a callous uncaring company.

I am still all in with MS products, 950XL, SP4 Xbox One X, but I can see how so many people have been encouraged to move on from MS products and services.

 

[PAC757]

I do not understand Microsoft's reasoning for this, really how much could it actually cost them to build the adapter. I looked at one and really it isn't rocket science, I'm sure it won't be long before a third party company starts making one. If you look at what the adapter really is you could build your own.

 

[Darth Pinhead]

There ARE 3rd-party Kinect adapters available... on eBay, for starters. They're from China (are you surprised?), so I don't know how good or a reliable adapter it is. It's possible it's a company that WAS making them for MS, and now are selling them under their own label. Then again... you could just make sure you have a smoke/fire detector mounted right near the Chinese adapter... in case it catches fire!

I bought an official Kinect adapter a few months ago (from the MS Store). I didn't want to take a chance on a 3rd-party adapter and have it fail, damage my Xbox One X... or set fire to my house (although, ANY electronic product could have a problem and do that).

Regardless... I'll always have an original Xbox One, as I'm not getting rid of my Halo 5 edition X1... and I just might keep my Advanced Warfare X1 as well. I'm not using it right now, but at least it has a Kinect port like my Halo 5 console does. My "Halo 6" console will probably usurp my Project Scorpio console when it comes out, which is fine. The Project Scorpio console is ugly... so I'm hoping the Halo 6 X1X will have a nice skin-job!

 

[vEEP pEEP]

Just read a story in MSN News that Microsoft have discontinued making the Kinect adapter.

I have just bought an Xbox One X and was lucky as I had an adapter from when I used a Kinect as a web cam.

I would NOT have bought the X if I couldn't have used the Kinect on it.

I am saddened by this decision as it again shows Microsoft's ability to kick loyal customers in the teeth, why not let someone else build them and announce that at the same time, rather than just exit the market and be accused of being a callous uncaring company.

I am still all in with MS products, 950XL, SP4 Xbox One X, but I can see how so many people have been encouraged to move on from MS products and services.

MS wants to get out of the Consumer market. They can't outright say it because of the publicity. But just dropping products and services little by little gets them off the hook and out of the market.

Sadly, Xbox is wildly successful, can't believe they are abusing those customers

 

[ty7]

MS future direction map must look like a 3yo scribbled on a piece of paper. I still don't get why MS are so hell bent on gradually alienating everyone of its customers. Starting with the loyal, 1st phone users then Xbox users. Won't be long before they only start developing games for a PS4 instead!!!

 

[Fabrizzio Marco]

lol

 

[Coach David B]

Just read a story in MSN News that Microsoft have discontinued making the Kinect adapter.

I have just bought an Xbox One X and was lucky as I had an adapter from when I used a Kinect as a web cam.

I would NOT have bought the X if I couldn't have used the Kinect on it.

I am saddened by this decision as it again shows Microsoft's ability to kick loyal customers in the teeth, why not let someone else build them and announce that at the same time, rather than just exit the market and be accused of being a callous uncaring company.

I am still all in with MS products, 950XL, SP4 Xbox One X, but I can see how so many people have been encouraged to move on from MS products and services.

I believe Microsoft lost the real reason the Kinect was not popular. Price!

If they just simply include the Kinect at current prices, gamers would be happy

 

[Hirox K]

To be honest... no, to be realistic, how many people own and actually use Kinect and how many devs are supporting it?
* I'll confess, I own one, even bought a case... thing to mount it on my TV but I've never really used it... except a few games e.g. FRU.
Would it make more sense to not drop a product with no users & devs... They own xbox, OS, lib & IDE, it'd be naïve to think MS doesn't have the statistic.
I'm not trying to be mean but tbh, as a user, open your mouth (or move your finger) and complain on the internet is easy...

If MS really want Cortana to work on Xboxes, they can do it through certified web cams or microphones, it's a Win10 anyway (and unlike PCs, esp custom build ones, where unique issues happens to different people). But I think their priority at the moment, is Win10ARM.

 

[randyoaks187]

Hopefully Microsoft will allow standard webcams to pick up all of the non-gaming (Skype, Cortana, etc.) features of Kinect. I think that would be a decent compromise. I see MR as the next generation of what Kinect was meant to be from a gaming perspective.

 

[rdubmu]

I never used it. except for Skype. Does the Xbox support 3rd Party web cams?

 

[Paul Josephson]

It was a sad day in my house when I heard the news of Kinect dongle being ended. I had just bought the X a week before and had not yet bought the USB dongle to move my Kinect over from my day one Xbox One. With no guarantee, the prices will drop from $300+ they are now to a reasonable price anytime soon and with any real third party option not on the horizon I had to make a request from Amazon to return my shiny new X. I have a couple of young children who use the Kinect for several games (Fantasia, Disney Rush, Sports, Fruit Ninja, and more.) Even us adults have enjoyed the Kinect over the years for its built-in Xbox support (eg autologin, voice support) and playing many of those very same games and Skyping. But, I can't keep both consols attached to my living room 4K TV (wife said no way) and there is no other acceptable area for the original Xbox and Kinect to be placed. The children and their games come first over my 4K enhanced games that I play.

Sorry, but Microsoft should have at the very minimum manufactured the dongle for a year after releasing the Xbox X. What are they thinking? A large percentage of users are probably early adopters of the original Xbox One (like myself) and many will think twice about purchasing the X now. Case in point my brother is an original Xbox owner and was thinking about buying the X when he bought his 4K TV during the Superbowl sales. Now it is a big no. Even though they have no children they are always using one of those dance games that require the Kinect. This is one of those situations where Microsoft should have sucked it up and not punished those people who have a Kinect but, should have taken the small hit themselves. It would have been a better customer support situation. It probably would have been cheaper in the long run compared to the PR issue it is creating so early after they releasing a console (one in the same generation) that requires the dongle to use the Kinect. It is bad enough they cheaped out and did not add a $1 Kinect port to the S and X in the first place. Microsoft should have had the wits enough to realize they would alienate quite a large group users by this move.

Sadly, for me this latest move has me starting to become one of those people who are constantly negative towards Microsoft. One the very people that I use to argue against but, in the last year or so, I am slowly finding more and more reasons to agree with them. I am finding it easier to look elsewhere for non-Microsoft and (shocker) non-Windows based products and services because I don't trust Microsoft to support, even a little, their devices and services, especially true for the ones they forced upon 13+ million original Xbox One purchasers as a necessary device. They should have had the understanding that they themselves required it has part of this generation, then they should at least support it for this whole generation. If they ever bring out another console (essentially what would be called the next gen) then they could have dropped support and killed off the Kinect dongle. But, what they are doing here tells me more and more don't trust Microsoft to support anything, even just a little.

And not only me what about game developers or developers in general? What guarantee will they have Microsoft won't throw them under the bus with any new device or enhancement they make next time. Developers will look at Microsoft's quick to abandon history and continue to be hesitant in ever growing numbers to support Microsoft's next new big enhancement to Windows or a new device or their next console. With the flight of developers to other platforms, Microsoft needs programmers interested in their platform too. They need people to see the worth in supporting what next big idea Microsoft brings out, not believe that Microsoft has no will to support things beyond a few minutes. And furthermore, see that Microsoft themselves don't believe in their own PR about their own products. Microsoft hasn't seemed to learn from their past mistakes that have pushed many people away from their Windows platform in the first place. Microsoft here is a little tip: You make it make it, you break it, you pay for it. Don't make everyone else pay for your mistakes.

 

[Dale a1]

Just read a story in MSN News that Microsoft have discontinued making the Kinect adapter.

I have just bought an Xbox One X and was lucky as I had an adapter from when I used a Kinect as a web cam.

I would NOT have bought the X if I couldn't have used the Kinect on it.

I am saddened by this decision as it again shows Microsoft's ability to kick loyal customers in the teeth, why not let someone else build them and announce that at the same time, rather than just exit the market and be accused of being a callous uncaring company.

I am still all in with MS products, 950XL, SP4 Xbox One X, but I can see how so many people have been encouraged to move on from MS products and services.

 

[Dale a1]

I definitely saddened by the choice to ax the Kinect, but really confused to why they would stop making the adapter. I never had the chance to even buy one. I've been waiting for them to be in stock. I use the Kinect in some fashion, everyday. I contacted Microsoft and they said any new webcam will allow me to play games and use voice commands. Headed to the store

 

[Hirox K]

> And not only me what about game developers or developers in general?
I'm a game programmer.
I'd (not just me, most company would) hesitate to code for WinPhone (let alone spend resources for QA, esp... small user base. user & dev loop is the same as chicken & egg loop) but I'd code for Win10ARM, big or small. Because Win10ARM == Win10PC.
Dropping WinPhone for Win10ARM is def a smart move.

I'll introduce myself a lilo.
Programming is my vocation.
Someone came to school & pat on my shoulder while I was napping in the computer room. Offered me a job interview before I graduated from the university.
Again, I was offered for a job interview before I graduated from my master degree.
CEO offered me stocks, raise, whatever dev kit I was interested when I try to resign from my 1st job.
My 2nd job… CEO refused / postponed my resignation, twice. Kept asking me to think it over.
I was scouted and now working in a major game studio / publisher.
* Grammar's not perfect, but I can speak, read, write 4 human languages.
* I obtained my Japanese under a year, speak Tokyo accent.
* C++'s my root but I can start fumble around C#, Java, Javascript, jQuery, html5, Python, Havok, Dx, OpenGL, Unity, Unreal, etc day 1 without books or teaching. Somehow I've managed to develop my unique programming concepts over the years.
* Havok took me 1 month to start (3 months to create a demo) cause I had 0 3d programming knowledge at the time.
* I hack, inject codes into apps, webs, work tools, for automation, repeating tasks.
I operate Windows and applications mostly by keyboard because it's more efficient.

15 years ago, my uni professor specifically told me, to not ever work for MS.
5 years ago I think Google and Boston Dynamics are pretty cool... but now... Android's kinda sitting in a boring-camp.
In the recent years I learned...
* UWP runs across pc, win10s, win10arm, xboxes, IOT, AR and MR.
* UWP + free unlimited cross-platform cloud sync leads to BC, FC & XPA.
* BC/FC + cloud leads to GamePass business model.
* Supports C++, C#, linux and other open source projects.
* Involved in some (unexpected) back bone techs which are essential to our daily life.
* MS's the biggest contributor to GitHub.
* MS research lab... hnnn, crazy stuffs.
* Visual Studio goes free + free project manager, free SVN for small team or personal use.
* Drop WinPhone for win10ARM. And I'll def want to dock a small size Win10ARM on my gamepad for portable XPA gaming.
I think MS's actually (or has became) a pretty cool company tho.

 

[AndyHolliday123]

Seems crazy not to at least have some way of controlling cortana. 2017 and 2018 are the years of voice activated devices such as Siri, Alexa, Google Home, and now Microsoft stop producing the only device that allows you to do it on the Xbox? They should issue free microphone adapters for all xbox users and encourage cortana.. Otherwise another own goal and wasted opportunity for Microsoft..

Just read a story in MSN News that Microsoft have discontinued making the Kinect adapter.

I have just bought an Xbox One X and was lucky as I had an adapter from when I used a Kinect as a web cam.

I would NOT have bought the X if I couldn't have used the Kinect on it.

I am saddened by this decision as it again shows Microsoft's ability to kick loyal customers in the teeth, why not let someone else build them and announce that at the same time, rather than just exit the market and be accused of being a callous uncaring company.

I am still all in with MS products, 950XL, SP4 Xbox One X, but I can see how so many people have been encouraged to move on from MS products and services.

 

[Guest_aotf]

To be honest... no, to be realistic, how many people own and actually use Kinect and how many devs are supporting it?
* I'll confess, I own one, even bought a case... thing to mount it on my TV but I've never really used it... except a few games e.g. FRU.
Would it make more sense to not drop a product with no users & devs... They own xbox, OS, lib & IDE, it'd be naïve to think MS doesn't have the statistic.
I'm not trying to be mean but tbh, as a user, open your mouth (or move your finger) and complain on the internet is easy...

If MS really want Cortana to work on Xboxes, they can do it through certified web cams or microphones, it's a Win10 anyway (and unlike PCs, esp custom build ones, where unique issues happens to different people). But I think their priority at the moment, is Win10ARM.

There is a limit to the damage control.
People are mostly unhappy about how MS handled the entire thing.

First this was suppose to be the future of gaming. They made fake demos like milo to hype up fake potential. They sold this as the thing that sets XB1 appart from the competition.
Yet they never really supported it with many games.

You say "the software was barely there" and whose fault is it? Say what you want of PSVR at least Sony is supporting it with content.

Then there were the lies and misleading information...

Even though MS weren't making many games for kinect and how they removed it from the bundle, they just kept making statements about how they are commited to kinect.
https://www.theguardian.com/technol...osoft-insists-it-is-still-committed-to-kinect
https://www.onmsft.com/news/spencer-says-microsoft-not-abandoning-kinect-its-still-great-part-xbox
https://www.polygon.com/2015/6/16/8793725/kinect-games-in-development-xbox-one

They knew fully well that they were not going to support it but they just kept making statements to make people buy it...

Even recently in 2016 he said
https://segmentnext.com/2016/10/06/phil-spencer-talks-future-kinect-xbox-one/
MS clearly said all original XB1 accessories will be compatible with scorpio...

The whole thing is a mess really. I wish people defend fellow consumer instead of damage controlling for these huge multinational corporations...

You say their priority now is is Win10ARM? They just change priorities as they go along. Once upon a time (early 360 days) their priority was games, then their priority was kinect/Deals with 3rd party games (COD). At the start of the generation, their priority was kinect/The power of the cloud. Ofc they didn't really support kinect with games. Now it's about playing the POWER of scorpio/ways to play old games...
All that while closing down studios, cancelling games and killing tech like kinect or illumiroom...
Just a mess if you ask me...

 

[JasonH81]

I guess I'm going to have to fight to find an adapter. The price gouging has already started. I'm disappointed, I loved my kinect, it had immense potential. But that "hate all things Microsoft" killed it. Many people complained about having an always on device monitoring you when it was Microsoft's, but now look. You now have Alexa, Google Home, and a myriad of other devices. Google sold one Dot every second at one point.

Let's just be honest, people still love to hate Microsoft.

 

[aphrophyre]

I never thought kinect 2.0 worked as well as kinect 1.0 in OS navigation scenarios. The audio pass-thru was the smartest thing for the xbox to be able to noise cancel what it was outputting but the voice control was far from usable in most scenarios for me. A far cry from the demonstrations of shouting Ok Google at your phone or Hey Alexa at an Amazon Echo. They could have simply iterated on the design and made the device cheaper, smaller, and more accurate over time but they led out the gate with a very cumbersome device. Whats the reason why it needs a separate power adapter to begin with? Why did it need dedicated resources and take precious CPU cycles away from games if used. They didnt actually learn any lessons of the pitfalls of supporting such a device when moving from X360 to XONE and thats what bit them in the ***.

 

[Guest_aotf]

Let's just be honest, people still love to hate Microsoft.

And MS love hating their own product. Why don't you talk about how much (or how little) this was supported by MS when it comes to making games for it.

Sure keep blaming "people" for MS's mistakes...

 

[Hirox K]

Damage control? Pls stop categorizing people. I don't freaking care. It's MS's problem, not mine. Not agree with you doesn't make me THEM. Those MS fans do not concern me.
All I'm saying is, holding a grudge or not is up to individual, blowing off steam is easy, but in this case, you are being unreasonable.
I'm a fan to mothering, because it make no sense to me. if-else is all I do when comes to non-organic.
It make sense to create faithfully followers for a brand / product but I'll never become one myself.
* I evaluate techs all the time, create framework, having the whole picture of a project in my brain all the time, I don't see just ONE if-else.

> First this was suppose to be the future of gaming
Have you tried it? then funny you believed it...
Are you the one who also believed in WinPhone's future and now holding a grudge and try to spread your grudge every chance you have? Funny you, no? HOW MANY of you bought that future? Care to share some statistics?
ps: CEO's changed == direction changed.

* tbh, if WinPhone (3rd mobile OS) succeeded years ago... as a programmer, I would not like that future. Instead of 3 OSes (Win10PC/S, Android & iOS), you'd have to code & QA for one more (Win10PC/S, Android, iOS, WinPhone). 3 is simpler for any startup, freshman, indie.