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Kinect set free: Standalone Xbox One Kinect coming in October for $150

You can buy an Xbox One without a Kinect, and now you can buy a Kinect without an Xbox One, too.

Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
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Scott Stein

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The Xbox One 's forced bundling of the Kinect last year made a lot of people wonder: why not sell it separately and allow people to have a choice? The Kinect-free Xbox One became available earlier this year for $399, but now you can also buy a Kinect a la carte in case you change your mind later. The standalone Kinect for Xbox One will be available October 7 for $149.99 (US price; UK and AU regional pricing and availability aren't known yet). The Kinect will also come packaged with the new Harmonix game Dance Central Spotlight.

Now if you do the math, you're coming out on the bad side of things if you buy the Kinect and Xbox One separately: it'll run $549.99, $50 more than the Xbox One with a bundled Kinect. Sure, you're also getting that Harmonix game...but if you're thinking of getting into some voice and hands interaction on your Xbox One, Microsoft is encouraging you to get the package deal.

(Via Engadget)