While Microsoft has already confirmed that the Xbox One will function normally without the Kinect, don’t expect to buy the two devices separately anytime soon, if ever.

Microsoft Corporate Vice President Phil Harrison disclosed more information regarding the immediate future of the Xbox One and Kinect, in an interview with CVG. Despite Microsoft announcing that their new console will work just fine without the presence of the Kinect peripheral, Harrison states that the console was never intended to be a stand-alone product, as the system was created with the Kinect as its core tool for immersion:

“Xbox One is Kinect. They are not separate systems. An Xbox One has chips, it has memory, it has Blu-ray, it has Kinect, it has a controller. These are all part of the platform ecosystem.

What we have shown really well at Gamescom is the magic of games that use Kinect. We have shown the power of voice control…It makes you think about your relationship with technology in a slightly different way. It’s personal. It makes you think, I wish more devices would do this.”

Harrison also expands on other topics regarding the Xbox One, such as the pending release date and a possible game-bundle in the US: Sony has revealed the PS4’s official release date as November 15; while Microsoft confidently has the Xbox One scheduled for a November release, the company has yet to announce an actual date, as part of their marketing strategy; during their Gamescom conference, Microsoft announced that European Xbox One pre-orders will include a pre-installed digital copy of FIFA 14, free of charge, however there is no word on whether or not US pre-orders will receive some kind of bonus game. Harrison also states that the recent policy reversals were in fact due to consumer demands, and Microsoft hopes to be seen not as a company that back-pedals on their promises, but as a brand dedicated to catering towards their audience:

“So we hope we are being seen as a brand that is listening to consumers, and one that gives consumers a choice…ultimately it’s the games that make Xbox One stand out, and we have the best line-up of games – we think – in the history of consoles.”

The full interview with Phil Harrison can be found over at CVG.

Source: CVG