Microsoft has today announced that the Xbox One will be sold without the Kinect for $399 in the US and £349 in the UK.
The Kinect was previously bundled in with the console which raised the price of the hardware considerably, with Microsoft insisting that it wasn't considering removing the motion-sensor device from the bundle as it was intrinsic to the Xbox One experience. However, with the PS4 outperforming the Xbox One in terms of sales, Microsoft has backtracked on its previous statements and will now offer players the option of purchasing the console without the Kinect for a lower price.
In the above video announcing the new optional Kinect-less console, Xbox's Yusuf Mehdi insists that the Xbox One is still better with Kinect thanks to its motion detection and voice control features, though states that the hardware manufacturer has listened to feedback and will therefore be giving consumers the option of purchasing the console on its own, without the Kinect in tow.
While this is something that Microsoft should have offered in the first instance, the fact that they are making this decision so early in the Xbox One's life cycle, and with E3 2014 just around the corner, is a good business decision that will no doubt see sales of the console increase and make it a more viable competitor for Sony's PS4.
With that being said, it's still something of a slap in the face to those who purchased the console on day one, and who were fed statements by Microsoft that claimed the Kinect was an "integral" component of the Xbox One experience. We're sure that even the most ardent fans of Xbox One supporters will be raising their eyebrows at this announcement.
The Kinect-less Xbox One will be made available on June 9th.
