If you were hoping to be able to play around with the Xbox One’s new version of Kinect on your PC when the console launches this fall, you’re in for some disappointment.
Speaking to Ars Technica , a representative from Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox One’s Kinect device won’t be able to plug into PCs. The reason, the representative explained, comes down to the new device’s connector.
“The Kinect for Xbox One sensor will not have an adapter that allows it to plug into a computer,” the representative told the site, adding that, instead, “the new generation Kinect for Windows sensor will connect to computers using a standard USB3 port.”
This so-called next-gen “Kinect for Windows” sensor was announced by the company yesterday . Intended primarily for developers, the device will set you back a whopping $399 – almost the cost of the Xbox One itself. Throwing down the money will land you an early version of the device, the final version, access to the full API, and “private support” from the Windows engineering team.
No word on whether or not a consumer version will be made available.
“The new generation Kinect for Windows sensor will be a fully tested, licensed, and supported Kinect experience on Windows. Kinect for Xbox One is being built for and tested with the Xbox One,” the Microsoft representative added.
Although it would be possible to release an adapter to allow connectivity with a PC, Microsoft says that it has no plans to release one. The original Kinect for the Xbox 360 also had a proprietary connector, but the company released an adapter that allowed the device to be plugged into a standard USB port, opening the doors for software and game developers alike to tinker with the device at a relatively low price point.