Microsoft has stopped manufacturing the Kinect, leaving any hope of a next-gen renaissance dead in the water.
The revolutionary motion sensor add-on was the Xbox 360’s answer to the Wii, and managed to sell over 30 million units since its 2010 debut.
Related: Best Kinect games
But once shops get rid of their current stock, no more will be produced.
Sales of its Windows-friendly version were halted two years ago, and while the original Xbox 360 peripheral actually became the fastest-selling consumer device ever back in 2011, this latest announcement has condemned it to the history books.
An upgraded Xbox One version brought hope of a whole new level of motion gaming action, yet that dream is now dead.
Kinect technology has been adopted in many of Microsoft’s later products, from HoloLens to Windows Hello cameras, so while it may be easy to dismiss as a failure, it’s played an important role in the company’s progress going forward.
Though its time may have come to an end, the Kinect effortlessly transformed the Xbox 360 into a family games console, and brought more ‘wow’ factor to gaming than anything else had mustered since the Wii.
Rest easy, Microsoft Kinect.
What are your favourite Kinect memories? Tweet us @trustedreviews
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
