The recent decision by Microsoft to offer a version of the Xbox One without the Kinect sensor add-on hardware is still being debated, both pro and con, among gamers. However, the lead designer behind the Xbox One, Carl Ledbetter, says in a new interview that the team looked at putting the Kinect sensor inside the console itself.
In a chat with Develop, Ledbetter states that the Xbox One team actually built models that would have included space for the Kinect hardware inside the case. However, it appears that the size of the overall package was to blame for not including the sensor in the Xbox One. Ledbetter stated:
We pushed ourselves, can we put it all in one? Is that going to work? And the technology just isn’t there yet. As soon as you have something much bigger than the Kinect sensor people don’t want to put it by the TV, it’s too big.
Ledbetter says he is happy to see the Kinect become a optional accessory for the Xbox One, repeating what other Microsoft execs have said about giving the consumer more choice in their purchase options. He states, "So somebody can now buy the console and who knows after a day, or a week or a month they can always go buy the Kinect sensor, add it and plug it right in." Microsoft has yet to announce a launch date or a price for the stand alone Kinect add-on for the console.
Source: Develop | Image via Microsoft
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