Skip to main content

Xbox Off — Microsoft ends production of Kinect adapter for Xbox One

microsoft xbox one review console kinect angle
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Hoping to attach an old Kinect to the new Xbox One X that was unwrapped over the holidays? That might be easier said than done. Microsoft has ceased production of the Kinect Adapter, the USB accessory that allows the sensor to connect to the Xbox One S, Xbox One X, or Windows PC.

This was confirmed by Microsoft on the evening of January 2, in a statement sent to Polygon.

“After careful consideration, we decided to stop manufacturing the Xbox Kinect Adapter to focus attention on launching new, higher fan-requested gaming accessories across Xbox One and Windows 10,” said the Microsoft spokesperson. When asked whether the item will come back in the future, the representative declined to discuss the product’s future, only saying that the adapter “will no longer be available.”

The end of the Kinect era began in 2016, when the updated Xbox One S launched without the proprietary Kinect port built into the console. Instead, users of the sensor needed to plug it into one of the USB ports via the Kinect Adapter. Because of the minor annoyance, Microsoft offered the adapter for free to Kinect owners during the first eight months following the console’s launch. At the end of the promotion, the adapter became available for purchase for $40. With trickling support, the Kinect itself was eventually discontinued in October 2017.

With the scarcity of the Kinect Adapter, finding one comes at a high price. Third-party sellers on Amazon are offering new adapters for almost $300. That is more than seven times the original retail price, and about $100 more than a new Xbox One S.

For most gamers, this means that they can no longer play any Xbox One games that require the sensor. Certain first-party Kinect titles, including Zoo Tycoon, Disneyland Adventures, and Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure have been re-released without Kinect features. And for those who mainly used Kinect for voice navigation and Cortana functionality, neither of those require Kinect. Except for “Hey Cortana, Xbox on,” all commands work with any headset microphone.

Those who might be affected most, unfortunately, are rehabilitation patients. Companies like Reflexion Health have given the Kinect a second life as a medical device, with over 600 patients using it for physical therapy.

Editors' Recommendations

Garrett Hulfish
Garrett is the kind of guy who tells you about all the tech you haven't heard of yet. He also knows too much about other…
You can’t play Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox, but you can play these 6 Game Pass RPGs
A player conversation in Baldur's Gate 3.

Baldur's Gate 3 just launched on PC on August 3 and comes to PlayStation 5 shortly on September 6. Unfortunately, an Xbox Series X/S version of the RPG does not have any concrete release date. Developer Larian Studios explained in a community post that this is because it doesn't "want to compromise on quality and feel it would be a shame to downscale to 30 [frames per second, aka fps] or make other compromises to hit an arbitrary date." Still, it's disappointing that Xbox players can't get in on the fun anytime soon. Thankfully, there isn't a shortage of alternatives on Microsoft's gaming platforms.
Xbox Game Pass is home to dozens of RPGs, many of which share the same computer-RPG roots as Baldur's Gate 3. While Xbox players might not be able to enjoy Larian Studios' shockingly thorough and immensely enjoyable Dungeons & Dragons CRPG just yet, they can't go wrong playing these six titles right now. 
Fallout: New Vegas

Where Baldur's Gate 3 may be the pinnacle of fantasy RPG games inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, Fallout: New Vegas is that for postapocalyptic RPGs. This game from Obsidian Entertainment and Bethesda Softworks -- both of which are now owned by Microsoft -- first released in 2010. Despite some in-game glitches that still persist, the Xbox 360 version of Fallout: New Vegas on Xbox Game Pass is just as enthralling of a role-playing experience as it was nearly 13 years ago. The Xbox 360 version can even be played at 60 fps on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, thanks to the FPS Boost feature.
Like Baldur's Gate 3, it's a faithful follow-up to some classic CRPGs that give players a massive amount of choice as they complete their adventure however they see fit. You can have endless fun exploring the world and creating experiences that feel personal to you while dealing with its eclectic cast of factions and characters. While it's a bit rough around the edges in certain aspects, New Vegas is still one of the best RPGs ever made. As such, it's worth replaying or trying first the first time if you want to play an RPG, but can't experience Baldur's Gate 3 right now.  
Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire

Read more
All Xbox home screens are getting a PS5-style makeover starting today
An Xbox home screen shows Starfield.

The Xbox home screen is getting a face-lift. Starting today, Microsoft will begin rolling out a freshly redesigned Xbox home interface across Xbox One, Series S, and Series X consoles.

If you're an Xbox owner, you're probably used to the consoles' current design that features a row of recently used apps at the top of the screen and a list of widgets below. Microsoft says it looked at user data and feedback from the Xbox community to create a redesigned experience that's more focused on discovery.

Read more
The best upcoming Xbox Series X games: 2023 and beyond
Two Atlas Fallen characters stand together in key art.

The Xbox Series X and Series S have now been out for over two years, bringing better resolution, higher frame rates, and ray tracing to gamers around the world. And the upcoming Xbox Series X games on this list promise to continue to show off all those bells and whistles in fun, new experiences.

If you're eager to find out what Microsoft has in store for the years ahead, we've rounded up every game confirmed so far, including new offerings, franchise installments, and ports of existing titles. We're looking beyond the first-party projects here to encompass all the great games coming to this powerful piece of gaming hardware. Maybe some of them will end up being among the best games on Xbox Series X.
Confirmed 2023 releases
The games listed below either have 100% confirmed release dates or solid release windows that we expect them to hit this year. Anything that's up in the air due to more vague launch predictions or previous delays will be listed under the following header.

Read more