Microsoft has annouced that they are to offer the Xbox One console with the Kinect sensor beginning June 9th.
The new Kinect-less Xbox One system will retail at $399, the same as the PlayStation 4.
Xbox president Phil Spencer also confirmed on the Xbox Wire that Xbox users will no longer need Xbox Live Gold to access third party apps like Netflix. In addition, Xbox One Games With Gold will begin in June. The first free titles to be offered are Halo: Spartan Assault and Max: The Curse of Brotherhood.
There will also be three Games With Gold titles on Xbox 360 next month, one more than usual, and they are: Dark Souls, Charlie Murder, and a bonus game of Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition.
Spencer said:
"Since the beginning, we have focused on delivering great games and entertainment experiences for you. Your feedback matters to us and it shapes the products and services we build. Your feedback showed up in the Xbox One console we launched back in November and in the monthly updates we’ve delivered since.
"Today, we’re excited to share more ways your feedback is impacting the products we build."
The decision to un-bundle Kinect marks a now complete turnaround on virtually every decision Microsoft made when they announced the Xbox One last May.
Exec Phil Harrison even went so far as to state that "Xbox One is Kinect" when pressed on the possibility of uncoupling the sensor in August. Microsoft also said in August that the Kinect would continue to be bundled with the Xbox One in order to avoid "splitting the developer base."
Market research firm IDC recently predicted that Microsoft would remove the Kinect and stated that they should now be able to dominate in North America, even if global sales fall behind the PS4.
There's a video from Microsoft with the announcement below.
