Microsoft may state publicly that the Kinect sensor will never be separated from the Xbox One console, but research firm IDC predicts that's exactly what the company will do sometime in 2015.
In a press release on Friday, IDC offered their forecast for the game console industry, stating their belief that Microsoft will sell the Xbox One without the Kinect add-on next year, and that such a move will cut the price of the console down to the level of Sony's PlayStation 4. IDC believes that will also cause a surge in Xbox One sales, so much so that the console will have a larger install base than the PS4 by the end of 2016 in the U.S.
Microsoft has said repeatedly that the company will not sell the Xbox One without the Kinect sensor. In September, Xbox exec Phil Harrison said, "Xbox One is Kinect. They are not separate systems." However, only a few games made for the Xbox One currently require the use of the Kinect hardware.
IDC also predicts that while the Xbox One may win the current console war in the U.S, the PS4 will have larger worldwide sales. It also believes Nintendo will cut the price of the struggling Wii U by $50 in late 2014 or early 2015. While overall revenue from console hardware is expected to be higher than the last generation, due to higher prices, the revenues from current disc-based games is projected to be 45 percent lower. However, IDC believes that will be offset from revenues from digital downloads of games, along with in-game purchases and subscriptions.
Source: IDC | Image via Microsoft
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