Microsoft announces Kinect-less Xbox One for $400

By Will Fulton May 13, 2014

microsoft announces kinect less xbox one 399 box shot — Image used with permission by copyright holder

In a move that will almost certainly push another batch of holdouts to join the next generation, Microsoft has announced that, starting June 9, a less expensive model of the Xbox One will be available that does away with the bundled Kinect motion sensor. Microsoft’s flagship system currently retails for $500 with the Kinect, and this new option shaves an ample $100 off that price, bringing it down to a much more palatable $400.

The innovative motion sensor has been a fascinating platform for hackers and experimentation since its introduction with the Xbox 360, but in many ways it has failed to gain traction with the general gaming population. Giving consumers the option to skip the Kinect with Xbox One and perhaps buy it seperately makes the system much more appealing to budget-minded buyers who just aren’t sold on the sensor’s utility.

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Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…

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