Futuristic Microsoft Research demos like IllumiRoom (now called RoomAlive) made techies and gamers drool, but as a product, it's far in the future. Not now Turn on Turned on Turn onĪnd potential is all it is right now. You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. The device is still mostly aimed at developers, and requires that you install the Kinect SDK 2.0 before you can use it, but out of the box, it does come with demos that tease its potential. From there, it works exactly the same as the Kinect for Windows V2 sensor and ends up costing less, if you set aside the necessary Xbox One purchase. Luckily, Microsoft launched the Kinect Adapter for Windows, which connects the Xbox One's wonky Kinect V2 port to good ol' USB 3.0. Though you can buy Kinect for Windows V2 for $200, it would be a shame to do that if you already had an Xbox One Kinect.

But recently, my ears perked up when Microsoft released a $50 cable that lets you use the Xbox One's Kinect on a PC. In other words, it's a big bag of meh for gamers and casual users. Others, such as Madden NFL 25 and Battlefield 4, can make use of the Kinect 2, but absolutely don't need it. It is indispensable for certain titles, like Just Dance 2014, Xbox Fitness and Fighter Within. Most gamers can take or leave the ubiquitous depth camera, because it just isn't as useful for gaming as, say, the Wii controller. When Microsoft started selling a basic Xbox One package without a Kinect V2 for $100 less, the result was unequivocal: Sales took off.

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