Microsoft has announced that the production and development of the Kinect spatial camera have been discontinued, marking the second time this has happened during the product’s existence. Initially, the Kinect camera was designed for the Xbox 360 gaming console to enable whole-body gaming. However, the product was discontinued in 2017. Two years later, in 2019, it made a comeback as the Azure Kinect Developer Kit. Now, Microsoft has announced that this model will also be discontinued.
Continued Support for Existing Customers
Until the end of October, it will still be possible to purchase the second-generation Kinect version or while supplies last in stores. Microsoft has also promised that existing customers will be able to use this camera beyond October. According to a company spokesperson, this is a normal part of the product life cycle when it reaches the end of its service.
Transition to Other Cameras
The void will not remain empty because Microsoft has released information that the capabilities of the Azure Kinect Developer Kit can be used with other company cameras. One example is the Orbbec Femto Bolt spatial camera. Interestingly, Microsoft had plans to offer a new Kinect camera together with the Xbox One console, but these plans were changed at the last moment. As a result, it did not support these capabilities, and the Xbox 360 remained the only console with its support.
