“Can it be sold without the Kinect?” has often been a topic of speculation since the Xbox One’s initial reveal. Much like Xbox One’s original DRM policy, a few statements were made about how it was integral to the system, with a few official denials.
Microsoft has officially announced via Xbox Wire, that a Kinect-less Xbox One will be on its way June 9th for $399 in the US, the same price as a PS4. No details on the Australian pricing as of yet. For those of you who plan to purchase this version and might be interested in getting a Kinect later on down the line, you will be able to purchase one this Spring.
“Since the beginning, we have focused on delivering great games and entertainment experiences for you,” Phil states in the blog post. “Your feedback matters to us and it shapes the products and services we build. Your feedback showed up in the Xbox One console we launched back in November and in the monthly updates we’ve delivered since.”
Some other announcements were also made in conjunction to this news, such as the Xbox Live Gold paywall for apps being taken away and improvements to Games with Gold, including discounts. These are all said to be coming in June.
No doubt we will hear more about this along with Microsoft’s plans for the console’s future at E3 next month.
UPDATE: The Xbox One without Kinect has been priced at $499AUD in Australia.
