One of the main selling points touted by Microsoft of the upcoming Xbox One console has been the inclusion of a next-generation Kinect sensor. Microsoft has said the inclusion is necessary for the full Xbox One experience, yet now there are no known launch titles that require Kinect usage.
Rare"s "Kinect Sports Rivals," a first-party game, was the only announced launch title that required the use of the Kinect sensor. On Thursday, however, Microsoft said the game has been delayed until early 2014. Several other games, such as "Dead Rising 3" and "Ryse: Son of Rome," can make use of the sensor but don"t require it. Most of the games that feature Kinect capabilities only use the vocal features, not the sensor"s motion tracking capabilities.
"Kinect Sports Rivals" and "Just Dance 2014" are currently the only Kinect-exclusive games announced for the Xbox One; the latter game is expected to be released before the end of the year.
Microsoft has been adamant the sensor is fundamental to the Xbox One experience, recently denying a rumor that the company was considering releasing a version of the console without the bundled sensor. In addition to game usage, the next-generation Kinect can be used extensively by the console for other tasks, such as saying commands to wake the Xbox One up from standby mode or launch apps.
In a question-and-answer post on the official Xbox news site, Microsoft"s Xbox staff wrote that the sensor is bundled with every Xbox One sold to ensure developers have access to the same hardware for every console.
"The all new Kinect is now an essential and integrated part of the platform," the post states. "By having it as a consistent part of every Xbox One, game and entertainment creators can build experiences that assume the availability of voice, gesture and natural sensing, leading to unrivaled ease of use, premium experiences and interactivity for you."
When asked if the Xbox One would have any Kinect-exclusive titles at launch, a Microsoft spokeswoman provided the following statement: "We will have a broad variety of Xbox One titles that will feature Kinect functionality, but we are still months away from launch and we and our partners will have much more to unveil. Stay tuned for more games news soon."
Image via Microsoft