14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just revealed that it is getting ready to offer for sale an Xbox One version that will not include the Kinect motion tracking system and it seems that the company is also getting ready to tweak the interface of the device in order to deal with the change.
Yusuf Mehdi, the leading executive of the division of the company focused on hardware, tells Engadget that, “We do want to find ways to give you some of those shortcuts and make some of the things that we have with Kinect easier with the controller.”
Basically, the company aims to make sure that the traditional method of navigating console interfaces gets even better for normal gamers.
Those who own a Kinect or plan to purchase one for the Xbox One can still use the wide array of voice commands that Microsoft has included.
Mehdi adds, “You can expect to see us do a bunch of things over the coming months to make the experience easier and easier, even if you don’t have a Kinect.”
The timeframe is a bit unclear at the moment, but Microsoft will probably try to introduce the controller changes at some point during the summer, via one of its monthly firmware updates.
The Kinect-less version of the Xbox One will be launched on June 9 and will be offered with a price tag of 399 dollars or Euro.
Microsoft says that the new version of its next-gen hardware is designed to offer potential customers more options, but most analysts see it as an attempt to close down the sales gap that has been opened by the rival PlayStation 4 from Sony.
In June, the device is also getting access to the Games with Gold program and the company has announced that the monthly subscription will no longer be required to access some of the most popular entertainment apps.
The Xbox One has shipped more than 5 million units to stores, but it is unclear how many of them have actually reached gamers.
The PlayStation 4 is over the 7 million mark in sales and Sony says that it has seen no big drop in its numbers from month to month.
With the consoles equal in terms of price, the competition between them will shift focus to exclusive video game launches and the way they manage to integrate social elements that allow players to connect with friends.