First we had the Xbox One DRM 180 turnaround, now we have the Xbox One KINECT 2 180 turnaround, as finally you can unplug the Kinect 2 from your new shiny Xbox One console, and it will still function and turn on without giving you the evil red light saying malfunction like first stated!
Kinect will still be a mandatory purchase, which is to say there will be no Xbox One without a Kinect bundled along with it. Privacy concerns are clearly paramount, especially following the the whole Snowden NSA debacle and that very well might be why Microsoft decided to hedge their bets and remove the requirement to use the Kinect.
Speaking with IGN, Microsoft’s Marc Whitten said that you can leave it plugged in and turn everything off with the exception of its infrared feature. Needless to say, you won’t be able to play Kinect games with the sensor disabled, though if a game is launched a pop up screen will prompt gamers to turn it on.
The big question now that it is no longer ‘mandatory to use’ will game developers still support it totally since it is still ‘mandatory to buy’, or will Microsoft also decide in the near future to release an cheaper Xbox One without the Kinect2 hardware, maybe even before launch as there is still basically 3 more months to go before the big launch day which gives Microsoft time still to make more last-minute changes!
