While the Xbox One has focused on delivering Ultra HD visuals and more this year with the upcoming Xbox One X, Microsoft is officially saying goodbye to one of its attempts to broaden the capabilities of the Xbox consoles with the official end of the Kinect.
Speaking in an interview with Fast Company’s Co.Design, Microsoft’s Alex Kipman (designer of the Kinect) and Matthew Lapsen (GM of Xbox Devices Marketing) confirmed that the company will be ending production of the Kinect sensor. No further units will be produced and only the remaining stock of the units currently in stores will be available for sale, though support for the device will continue for customers that currently have it for Xbox consoles.
The Kinect was first launched back in 2010 during the Xbox 360’s life as a way to integrate motion controls into its line of games and expand the system’s audience to broader appeal. The device was eventually integrated for Windows PC and was included in the initial run of Xbox One consoles.
However, the device never quite caught on to the same level of popularity as Microsoft hoped, and ultimately the company shifted away from the Kinect sensor by disbanding it from the Xbox One console bundles in refocusing to a core gamer market.