Microsoft's Kinect 2.0 didn't really make waves the way they hoped it would. The motion-based camera tech quickly fizzled from view after a string of controversial stories emerged. Well, for gamers interested in using Kinect for the Xbox One X...it will cost you.
The response from Aaron Greenberg, the head of the Xbox marketing department, was posted on his official Twitter account, explaining that Microsoft had -- for a limited time -- a program where you could get a free adapter for the Xbox One S launch last year. The adapter would enable owners of a Kinect 2.0 to hook up the device to the Xbox One S.
Essentially, Microsoft removed the basic adapter for the Kinect 2.0 in the newer models to cut down on costs, so it means you'll have to purchase a separate adapter in order to properly utilize the camera device on the Xbox One S and Xbox One X.
As explained over on the support page, you'll need the special adapter for the Kinect to hook it up to the Xbox One S. The adapter also does not support the Xbox 360 version of Kinect (also known as Kinect 1.0) and you cannot use the original Xbox 360's Kinect with the Xbox One S.
Microsoft also released the adapter for a premium price of $39.99. The reviews for the adapter are mostly all one stars in protest of having to purchase a separate piece of hardware to access the Kinect on the Xbox One S.
Many people who already owned the Kinect that came with the original Xbox One, thought that they could simply upgrade to the Xbox One S and that the Kinect would still work, but, it doesn't.
The Twitter thread at the top of the conversation originally started back on September 30th, when an Xbox gamer asked one of Microsoft's technical consultants if the company would be reviving the free Kinect adapter program for the upcoming release of the Xbox One X. The consultant referred the users to Xbox marketing head Aaron Greenberg, who noted that the program was only available for the year the Xbox One S was being launched, and that Microsoft would not be giving away free adapters for Kinect owners.
A lot of Xbox gamers were disappointed in the news because it means that if they want to make use of the Kinect on the Xbox One X they'll have to shell out $40 in order to do so.
Some of the comments on the Twitter thread noted that the Xbox One X was already fairly expensive at $500, and having to pay out an extra $40 for the adapter was not something they were looking forward to doing.
A lot of gamers felt that Microsoft simply should have kept the Kinect adapter on the console instead of requiring an additional adapter, others felt betrayed for being first adopters. If you own a Kinect and plan on using it with the Xbox One X, be prepared to shell out some additional coin for an adapter.
