Microsoft might not have the best track record when it comes to using Kinect for gaming, but its applications on PC have been very interesting, and quite useful for some groups. This prompted them to begin producing the Kinect for Windows v2, but that also split the market a bit. Demand was high, and Microsoft has had trouble keeping up with producing two separate devices. To combat this Microsoft has announced that they will cease production of Windows version, instead focusing on an adapter that allows consumers to use the existing Xbox One Kinect on PC.
In a blog post Michael Fry, Senior Technology Evangelist for Kinect for Windows, discussed the decision by saying “Over the past several months, we have seen unprecedented demand from the developer community for Kinect sensors and have experienced difficulty keeping up with requests in some markets. At the same time, we have seen the developer community respond positively to being able to use the Kinect for Xbox One sensor for Kinect for Windows app development, and we are happy to report that Kinect for Xbox One sensors and Kinect Adapter for Windows units are now readily available in most markets.”
Using the adapter you are able to hook up a normal, Xbox One version to a Windows 8 and 8.1 PC. You can then use it just as if it was a Kinect for Windows version of the device. Microsoft reiterated their support both for Kinect and for the developer community that has been built around it. This decision seems to be merely in regards to the physical production required, and should help push the market on PC even higher.
