Kinect: Difference between revisions

}}The '''Kinect''' was a line of peripherals sold by Microsoft for the ''[[Xbox]] 360'', ''Xbox One'', and [[Microsoft Windows|''Windows'']] hardware. Its first public release was for the ''Xbox 360'' on November 4th, 2010.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thorsen |first=Tor |date=August 11, 2010 |title=4GB Xbox 360 official, $300 Kinect bundle coming |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/4gb-xbox-360-official-300-kinect-bundle-coming/1100-6270112/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250219091726/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/4gb-xbox-360-official-300-kinect-bundle-coming/1100-6270112/ |archive-date=2025-02-19 |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=GameSpot}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Chen |first=Jason |date=Jun 14, 2010 |title=Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect Launches November 4 |url=https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-xbox-360-kinect-launches-november-4-5563148 |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=Gizmodo}}</ref> It was formerly planned by [[Microsoft]] that the ''Kinect for Xbox One'' would be mandatory for launch Xbox One hardware to function,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Schreier |first=Jason |date=May 21, 2013 |title=Xbox One Requires Kinect To Function |url=https://kotaku.com/xbox-one-requires-kinect-to-function-509112572 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260508072708/https://kotaku.com/xbox-one-requires-kinect-to-function-509112572 |archive-date=2026-05-08 |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=Kotaku}}</ref> however due to consumer backlash,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Crecente |first=Brian |date=Jun 5, 2013 |title=Privacy concerns threaten to overshadow Microsoft's new console |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/6/5/4398440/privacy-microsoft-xbox-one/ |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=Polygon}}</ref> this was lifted before launch. In 2014, the hardware stopped being bundled with Xbox One consoles.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Futter |first=Mike |date=May 13, 2014 |title=Microsoft Completes Its 180 And Drops Kinect From Xbox One |url=https://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/05/13/microsoft-completes-its-180-and-drops-kinect-from-xbox-one.aspx |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=GameInformer}}</ref>

In 2019, the Azure Kinect released,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Liao |first=Shannon |date=May 7, 2018 |title=Microsoft is moving Kinect to the cloud |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/7/17318690/microsoft-kinect-cloud-announced-build-2018 |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=The Verge}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ranger |first=Steve |date=Feb 25, 2019 |title=What is Microsoft's Azure Kinect DK? |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-microsofts-azure-kinect-dk/ |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=ZDNet}}</ref> being the first standalone Kinect hardware that did not see a shared release on Xbox. On Aug 21, 2023 it was discontinued and the Kinect line was deprecated.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=Aug 21, 2023 |title=Microsoft kills Kinect again |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/21/23840327/microsoft-azure-kinect-developer-kit-discontinued |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=The Verge}}</ref>

*User Freedom: Formerly planned to be mandatory for use with Xbox One on launch;<ref name=":0" /> currently unsupported by Microsoft and incompatible with Xbox Series consoles and later.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Gartenberg |first=Chaim |date=Jan 2, 2018 |title=Microsoft has discontinued the Kinect Adapter for newer Xbox One consoles |url=https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/1/2/16842738/microsoft-kinect-adapter-xbox-one-x-s-discontinued |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=The Verge}}</ref> Users have reported questionable compatibility on Windows for all models except for Azure.<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/Edmundo-Studios |date=Mar 19, 2022 |title=Windows 11 compatibility |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/kinect/comments/thtal1/windows_11_compatibility/ |access-date=May 7, 2026 |website=[[Reddit]] - r/Kinect}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chelsea |date=Sep 3, 2022 |title=Why won't my Xbox 360 Kinect work with windows 11? Should I upgrade to an Xbox One Kinect? |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/993064/why-wont-my-xbox-360-kinect-work-with-windows-11-s |access-date=May 7, 2026 |website=[[Microsoft]] Learn forums}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Garcia |date=Aug 20, 2023 |title=problems with kinect v2 (Xbox One) on pc |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1349001/problems-with-kinect-v2-(xbox-one)-on-pc |access-date=May 7, 2026 |website=[[Microsoft]] Learn Forums}}</ref><!-- 12 - Interesting that MS instead of providing solutions, instead marketed to the user to upgrade their hardware. -->

*User Privacy: Patents showed the Kinect potentially monitoring its users for advertising purposes,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sottek |first=T.C. |date=May 27, 2013 |title=Microsoft may award achievements for watching TV and ads by monitoring you with Kinect |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/5/27/4370676/microsoft-kinect-tv-monitoring-achievements-ads |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=The Verge}}</ref><!-- Might just be bloat to add: https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/hello-xbox-one-goodbye-freedom --> despite claims from Microsoft that it would be in violation of their Privacy Policy.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |date=Jun 6, 2013 |title=Kinect on Xbox One will not record or upload your conversations, Microsoft says |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/6/6/4403926/kinect-on-xbox-one-will-not-record-or-upload-your-conversations/ |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=Polygon}}</ref>

In October 2017, [[Microsoft]] stopped manufacturing the ''Kinect for Xbox One'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reisinger |first=Don |date=October 25, 2017 |title=Microsoft Has Finally Killed the Kinect Xbox Sensor |url=https://fortune.com/2017/10/25/microsoft-kinect-xbox-sensor/ |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=Fortune}}</ref> and 3 months later, discontinued the adapter necessary for connecting this hardware to both newer [[Xbox]] consoles, as well as [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] computers.<ref name=":2" /> When the Xbox Series consoles released, they were incompatible with the Kinect, even if the end user has the necessary adapter.<ref name=":2" /> This means that any games that rely on Kinect hardware are additionally unplayable on Xbox Series consoles, despite being fully compatible with the rest of the Xbox One library.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bonthuys |first=Darryn |date=Oct 28, 2020 |title=Xbox Series X/S Officially Plays Every Game That Works On Xbox One (Except The Kinect Ones) |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-series-x-s-officially-plays-every-game-that-works-on-xbox-one-except-the-kinect-ones/1100-6483849/ |access-date=May 7, 2026 |work=GameSpot}}</ref>