While some have suggested that it was only a matter of time, Microsoft has finally seen the writing on the wall and committed to a lower price point for their next-gen console.
A Kinect-less system will debut next month at a retail price of $399 (putting it on-par with that of its competitor the PlayStation 4). Naturally Microsoft still plans to support their motion sensing technology, but a stand-alone version won’t be available until the coming fall.
Microsoft head Phil Spencer followed up the announcement with a statement touting the companies renewed focus on bringing gamers what they want (rather than the ass-backwards approach of shoving their policies down our throats and just hoping we’ll accept them). “We’ve heard that you want more choices from Xbox One. You want a wide variety of options in your games and entertainment experiences and you also want options in your hardware selection. To be clear, as we introduce this new Xbox One console option, Kinect remains an important part of our vision.” He says.
But wasn’t the Kinect always supposed to be more than just “…a part of their vision?” I remember the extra $100 forced on early adopters being portrayed as a vital feature required for the console’s functionality. Check back tomorrow as I ask the question, has Microsoft just been lying to us since launch?