The news that the Xbox One console would require the Kinect to be switched on and gathering data at all times sparked some cries over privacy fears from gamers. At the same time, limits on the usage of pre-owned games and other details were met with a cold response from the community.
Microsoft eventually backtracked on its pre-owned games limitations, and now appears to have done the same for any requirement for Kinect to be on all the time.
"Like online, the console will still function if Kinect isn't plugged in," Xbox One platform architect Marc Whitten, told IGN. "Although you won't be able to use any feature or experience that explicitly uses the sensor."
"You have the ability to completely turn the sensor off in your settings. When in this mode, the sensor is not collecting any information. Any functionality that relies on voice, video, gesture or more won't work. We still support using it for IR blasting in this mode. You can turn the sensor back on at any time through settings, and if you enter into a required Kinect experience (like Kinect Sports Rivals for instance), you'll get a message asking if you want to turn the sensor back on in order to continue."
Written by: James Delahunty @ 13 Aug 2013 15:10
