The Kinect that comes with Xbox One consoles includes a proprietary connector that won't plug into PCs, Microsoft tells Ars Technica.

When Kinect launched for Xbox 360 it plugged straight into any USB port, and updated versions include adapters for standard USB connections, but this isn't the case with Xbox One Kinect systems. That's why Microsoft now has a "Kinect for Windows" version – it launched an early-access Kinect for Windows SDK program yesterday.

"The Kinect for Xbox One sensor will not have an adapter that allows it to plug into a computer," Microsoft says. "The new generation Kinect for Windows sensor will connect to computers using a standard USB3 port."

Microsoft has no plans to launch an adapter that allows the console Kinect to plug into a PC, the site says. Both Kinects are built on a "shared set of technologies," but Microsoft says, "The new generation Kinect for Windows sensor will be a fully tested, licensed, and supported Kinect experience on Windows. Kinect for Xbox One is being built for and tested with the Xbox One."

The Kinect for Windows SDK is available now in Microsoft's early-access program, which runs $400 and includes private support from the Windows engineering team, access to all API, the early sensor and the final version, and the early and updated SDK.

Posted: Jun 27, 2013 8:19 pm
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/27/xbox-one-kinect-wont-plug-into-pcs/