Microsoft: 'No Need' For Kinect Processor, Removal Not Cost-Related

Microsoft removed a standalone processor from Kinect because there was “no need” for its inclusion, not as previously rumored, to merely reduce the cost of the device. Kinect spokesman Kudo Tsunoda told Xbox World 360, as reported by CVG, that all the processing power for the motion-sensing camera comes from the Xbox 360 system itself, which employs “less than one percent” of the console’s motherboard. It was rumored in January that the company had removed the internal processor from the device in order to reduce manufacturing costs and lower the retail price, a claim Microsoft declined to comment on at the time. “We didn’t know how much processing Kinect was going to take at the start of development,” said Tsunoda. “Obviously, you don’t want to lose any of the things that are important to Xbox customers. Graphic fidelity is something that Xbox has always been known for, and you want to make sure that you still hit that level." "Forza is a graphical showpiece, and we had Forza with Kinect at E3… the graphic fidelity has actually improved in some areas from what they shipped with Forza 3. It’s still running at 60 FPS and it’s supporting Kinect, so there’s just no need to have that extra processor.” Speaking to Gamasutra at this year's Tokyo Game Show, Tsunoda emphasized that Microsoft views Kinect as an evolving platform, not a static piece of hardware: "We think about it a lot the same way we think about Xbox Live. Xbox Live, when it first came out, was much different than it is today. And over time, new features get added, new experiences get added, and it just evolves as a platform. The same will be true with Kinect. Kinect launches in the US on November 4 and the UK on November 10.