According to Microsoft’s Phil Harrison, the Xbox One will never come without a Kinect. If you were thinking about holding off on your purchase of the next-gen system in hopes of a cheaper SKU sans Kinect, don’t hold your breath.
Xbox One is Kinect… They are not separate systems
In a recent interview with Computer and Video Games, Microsoft’s Phil Harrison explained how the Kinect is as much a part of the Xbox One ecosystem as the controller and disc-drive.
“Xbox One is Kinect,” said Harrison. “They are not separate systems. An Xbox One has chips, it has memory, it has Blu-Ray, it has Kinect, it has a controller. These are all part of the platform ecosystem.”
While it definitely makes economic sense for Microsoft to release a bundle without the Kinect, it would definitely damage the potential for the device. With developers knowing that every Xbox One has a Kinect, they can budget to make games and features for the device more freely. A situation that many think Sony will have troubles with, because of the optional camera accessory on the PS4.
