Microsoft ‘strongly believes’ you’ll love the Xbox One Kinect so much that you’ll never disconnect it

Yesterday, Microsoft announced that the Xbox One will work even when the Kinect 3D camera isn’t plugged in. That’s another big change in policy for the company’s next-gen console.

“When we first announced Xbox One, we did intend for Kinect to be plugged in for the console to work,” a Microsoft spokesperson told GamesBeat. “As we’ve progressed in the development cycle, we’ve revised our approach so that the console will still function if Kinect isn’t plugged in.”

While Microsoft is softening its position on the Kinect, that doesn’t mean it is planning to sell the Xbox One without the device. The company really wants developers to design games with the assumption that every player has a Kinect looking at them and listening to them.

“Xbox One is still designed to work best with Kinect plugged in,” said the spokesperson. “Though we’ve changed this requirement, Kinect is still an essential and integrated part of the Xbox One platform. By having it as a consistent part of every Xbox One, game, and entertainment creators can build experiences that assume the availability of voice, gesture, and natural sensing, leading to unrivaled ease of use, premium experiences, and interactivity for consumers.”

The Xbox One is due out later this year for $500. That’s compared to the PlayStation 4, which is retailing for $400 without its own camera. After making so many changes, many consumers who weren’t thrilled with the original Kinect camera are still holding out hope that Microsoft will go one step further and sell an Xbox One for $400 without the camera. This is one issue that the console manufacturer doesn’t seem like it’s going to budge on.

“We strongly believe that once you try the all-new Kinect and the game and entertainment experiences it enhances or enables, you won’t want to use your Xbox One without it,” said the Microsoft spokesperson.