Xbox One without Kinect: “It still all works,” says hardware designer

In June, the Xbox One will finally be available without the Kinect camera packed into every bundle.  While the move signals a major shift in Microsoft’s strategy for the Xbox One, hardware engineer Carl Ledbetter says that it “still all works” and is a consumer friendly move.

The Xbox One version that doesn’t include Kinect, it all still works

Speaking with Develop, Ledbetter tells the magazine, “It’s all designed together, it’s holistic.  And in the version that consumers can buy that doesn’t include Kinect, it still all works.  And so I think I share the same opinion that everybody does that by having more choice for the consumer, and a new point of entry for them, it’s great.”

In the same interview, Ledbetter also reveals that Microsoft dabbled with the idea of building the Kinect into the Xbox One, instead of making it a connectable accessory.

“We pushed ourselves, can we put it all in one?  Is that going to work? And the technology just isn’t there yet,” claims Ledbetter.  “As soon as you have something much bigger than the Kinect sensor, people don’t want to put it by the TV, it’s too big.”

Good thing they didn’t.  The Xbox One arrives sans Kinect for $399 on June 9th.