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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteMicrosoft stopped making Kinect for Xbox One in 2017 after the sensor lost its central place in the Xbox strategy. It had become optional, game support and consumer demand were not strong enough to sustain it as a mainstream accessory, and its camera-and-microphone setup drew privacy concerns. Microsoft has not announced a new Xbox Kinect. Its depth-sensing technology continued in other products, but later developer hardware was not an Xbox gaming replacement.
Why did Microsoft discontinue Kinect?
Kinect began as an Xbox 360 motion-control accessory in 2010, offering a way to play and interact through movement and voice rather than a traditional controller. Microsoft said in 2013 that more than 24 million Kinect sensors had sold worldwide. TechCrunch later reported a lifetime total of around 35 million units in 2017; those are figures from different dates and sources, not a single directly comparable sales tally.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21EmpEz+OeL._SL160_.jpg)
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Microsoft Xbox One Kinect Sensor Bar [Xbox One](Renewed) | $39.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Xbox One Kinect Sensor | $25.17 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Microsoft XBOX 360 Kinect Sensor (Renewed) | $28.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Kinect Sensor with Kinect Adventures! (Renewed) | $28.35 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Microsoft XBOX 360 Kinect Sensor | $99.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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The clearest explanation for Kinect’s end is a product strategy that failed to sustain a broad enough gaming use case. At Xbox One’s launch, Microsoft bundled Kinect with the console. It later offered a version without the sensor amid consumer pushback and pressure to lower the console’s entry price. Once Kinect was optional, it was no longer a common baseline for Xbox owners or game developers.
Fewer reasons for developers and players to commit
Contemporary reporting cited limited developer support and gamers’ preference for familiar gamepads as factors in Kinect’s declining role. A game built around a sensor has a smaller potential audience when many console owners do not have one; players also had to choose whether motion controls suited the games they wanted to play. This weakened the case for making Kinect central to Xbox gaming.
#1 Best Overall
- Requires power adapter for Xbox One S and X models (sold separately)
- Put down the controller and play Xbox One games using just your body, voice, and gestures. Command your TV and even make Skype calls in HD.
- Play games where you are the controller, Be recognized and signed-in automatically
- Be recognized and signed-in automatically you can also call friends and family with Skype in HD
- Broadcast gameplay live with picture-in-picture
Privacy added to the resistance
The camera and microphone in a living room prompted privacy concerns, including in reporting about the Xbox One launch. Those concerns formed part of the public context, but available accounts do not establish how much weight they carried in Microsoft’s internal decision. The end of Kinect is best understood as the combined result of a less compelling Xbox strategy, limited durable game support, consumer preferences and privacy pushback—not one proven cause.
People also used Kinect for projects beyond mainstream gaming, including university work, robotics, scanning and film production. Those specialist applications kept interest in the sensing approach alive, but did not restore Kinect as a mass-market Xbox accessory.
Rank #2
- Command your Xbox and TV with your voice (examples include "Xbox On", "Xbox Watch TV", "Xbox Go to Amazon Instant Video", and more).
- Broadcast gameplay live with picture-in-picture using the Twitch Xbox One app.
- Make Skype calls in HD on your TV using the Kinect.
- Play games where you are the controller and work out smarter with Xbox Fitness.
- Compatible with Xbox One S with Adapter: Kinect for Xbox One is compatible with Xbox One S via the Xbox Kinect Adapter for USB.
What happened to Kinect’s technology?
Microsoft announced on October 25, 2017, that manufacturing for Kinect for Xbox One had ended, while saying that its innovations would continue in other products and future technologies. That is Microsoft’s description of the technology’s continuing influence, not proof that every later feature descended directly from Kinect.
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In 2019, Microsoft introduced Azure Kinect DK, a depth-camera developer kit aimed at developers and commercial uses rather than Xbox players. Microsoft documentation lists a 1-megapixel time-of-flight depth camera, a 12-megapixel RGB camera, a seven-microphone array, and an accelerometer and gyroscope (IMU). Microsoft explicitly stated that Azure Kinect DK was not a replacement for Xbox Kinect and was not designed for Xbox.
Rank #3
- Does not come with the power cable needed for the original Xbox 360
| Device or option | Intended use | Xbox gaming compatibility | Status or next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinect for Xbox 360 / Xbox One | Consumer motion and voice interaction, chiefly for Xbox gaming | Designed for its respective Xbox generation; do not assume compatibility with Xbox Series consoles | Microsoft ended Kinect for Xbox One manufacturing in 2017 |
| Azure Kinect DK | Developer and commercial depth-sensing projects | Not designed for Xbox | Production ended in 2023; Microsoft lists the Azure Kinect SDK retirement date as August 17, 2024 |
| Orbbec Femto Bolt | Developer-oriented depth-camera applications, including migration from Azure Kinect DK | Not an Xbox gaming successor | Microsoft identified it as a partner option and cited an API bridge for migrating existing Azure Kinect DK applications |
Microsoft ended Azure Kinect DK production in 2023 and pointed users to Orbbec’s Femto Bolt as a partner option. Microsoft Lifecycle lists August 17, 2024, as the Azure Kinect SDK retirement date. That lifecycle milestone does not by itself establish that every existing application, community fork or third-party device stopped working.
Will there ever be another Xbox Kinect?
No new Xbox Kinect has been announced in the sources available for this article. That supports saying a successor is unannounced—not that Microsoft has ruled one out forever. A dedicated motion-control camera could return if a future Xbox strategy and game lineup made it worthwhile, but there is no basis to describe one as imminent.
Rank #4
- Easily hook up with friends with Video Kinect, no headset required.
- Sign into your profile by just stepping in front of the sensor
- Kinect games give you the freedom to jump, duck, and spin your way through a unique adventure.
- Kinect uses cutting-edge technology to provide a whole new way to play
- Kinect Adventures game
“Another Kinect” can also mean different things. A new Xbox camera would be a gaming peripheral; continued use of depth-sensing ideas in Microsoft products is a separate matter; and Azure Kinect DK or Femto Bolt belongs to the developer-camera category. The latter devices do not answer the question of what to plug into an Xbox for Kinect games.
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Kinect hardware is now legacy equipment. Someone revisiting the original experience should distinguish Xbox 360 Kinect from Xbox One Kinect: they are different-generation accessories, and no Xbox Series compatibility should be assumed. Used listings can vary by condition, region, and whether the required power supply or adapter is included. Current inventory and prices have not been verified.
Best Value
- Does not come with the power cable needed for the original Xbox 360
For developers with an Azure Kinect DK application, Femto Bolt is a migration-oriented option Microsoft identified, not a plug-in gaming replacement. Check the device maker’s current documentation and software support before planning a new project around any discontinued or successor hardware.
Quick Recap
Sources
- TechCrunch: Microsoft ends Kinect for Xbox One manufacturing
- Microsoft: Xbox One launch and Kinect sales figure
- Microsoft Learn: About Azure Kinect DK
- TechCrunch: Azure Kinect DK production ends
- Microsoft Lifecycle: Azure Kinect DK
- Windows Central: Kinect’s changing role and privacy concerns
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
