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Kinect Is Really Dead Now, Basically (gamespot.com)
Microsoft has confirmed that it is no longer producing the Kinect adapter that is needed to connect the Kinect to an Xbox One S, Xbox One X, or other Windows device. This comes after Microsoft announced in October 2017 that it was killing off the Xbox One's Kinect camera. GameSpot reports: "After careful consideration, we decided to stop manufacturing the Xbox Kinect Adapter to focus attention on launching new, higher fan-requested gaming accessories across Xbox One and Windows 10," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement to Polygon. The representative declined to say if Microsoft would ever bring Kinect back. However, the company confirmed that the adapter "will no longer be available" to purchase.
The hate was mostly from more hardcore gamers. Motion controls are suboptimal compared to a traditional controller since they provide less fine control, and they kept producing games that forced you to use a control scheme that required the motion controller. Dancing games would be one of the few exceptions because there the body motion is the whole point.
Not having used a Kinect before, I wanted to see just how special this adapter was. Apparently Kinect uses a special plug that combines USB and 12V power. Microsoft's adapter for the Xbone version presents this as a USB 3.0 B jack.
There seem to be a lot of third-party adapters out there for the 360 version. They have a wall wart, an orange-tongue "USB" jack for the Kinect, and a USB A plug. It is also possible to hack off the end of the connector, which seems to only use USB 2.0, and splice in a 12V 1.5A power supply and USB connector.
So basically this is just another special proprietary variation of a standard plug, simply because they didn't want to have a second plug in the Kinect for power. Not that it's anything new, Microsoft has been pulling this bullshit ever since the original Xbox used plain USB with a two special connectors for its controllers. (To be fair, it probably had better durability for insertions/removals.)
At least with USB 3 for the Xbone version, why couldn't they have used the official extended power management support? Then at least it could use some kind of standard power inserter or powered hub. Or was that from USB C?
As long as China can find a supply of connectors for the Xbone version, I'm sure you will see replacements out there soon.
#naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
The Kinect was probably the most innovative thing Microsoft has ever done. It was amazing that it worked as well as it did. I will never understand why its mere existence was so hated by so many people. Microsoft, of course, also shares the blame for mishandling the Xbox One version, and then running away from this amazing tech due to a few vocal complaints.
Pretty much. I know a couple of devs who found creative uses for it on PC.
For the most part I was ambivalent toward it until it became an inseparable part of the already disastrous XBox One launch platform. They practically handed Sony market share. I think the hate for it mushroomed after that point (to be fair the seeds were already planted between gamers who enjoy sitting motionless versus any kind of motion control.)
Microsoft is a frustrating company to follow around, they sometimes come up with brilliant ideas and then utterly demolish them through incompetence.
crazy dynamite monkey