Microsoft to sell Xbox One without Kinect for

By MightyJordan
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Boxster17

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They should've done this from the get go.  Can't say I'm surprised by this as they don't seem to be developing any games that make great use of Kinect (at least not enough to justify cramming it in every box).

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Grand Master

wakjak

Posted
Posted

Well, they are close enough in power, so that isn't really a concern. 

 

If its so close in power.. why are there still resolution differences between multiplatform games?

 

http://blog.ubi.com/watch-dogs-next-gen-game-resolution-dynamism/

 

On new-gen systems the game will run at 900p on PS4 and 792p on Xbox One, at 30 frames-per-second on both consoles.

 

Grand Master

trooper11

Posted
Posted

I'll start off by saying that MS chose the second option I had been mentioned around here. They dropped Kinect from the bundle in order to drop the price. Now we can sit back and watch the fallout.

Regardless of how you feel about Kinect, you were not privy to MS' goals or the numbers they were looking at to gauge the choices to make. They looked at it all and decided that they needed to make the change now, maybe to do it early in order to get a quick boost in sales from more early adopters.

I'm interested to see a few things:

1. Does MS change their marketing to be more like Sony's marketing of the ps4 camera. What will a stand alone kinect be priced at? Will MS keep investing time and money to bring more features that use Kinect and improve the existing features?

2. The reaction by the internet community. Will there be a sudden influx of people excited about getting an X1 and a wave of positive vibes for the platform? Will there just be a switch in topics from these issues to how MS is still bad news because of the constant 180s?

3. Will MS have time to make all of the OS level changes needed so that anyone buying a kinect-less bundle has access to all of the features that use Kinect within reason (of course voice commands will be out and things like auto logins would be out) or will there be a gap for a while? Many like to talk about how little Kinect does, but the reality is different from an OS standpoint.

As for my personal feeling about it. In a perfect world, I would have tried to lower the price without unbundling, but if MS looked a the numbers and it just did not make sense, then they have done what they needed to do. I'm sure they aren't happy about the choice, but considering the feedback from people and the need for a price drop, sometimes you have to make a sacrifice.

I would love to see MS still aggressively push Kinect as more than just a gaming device and really keep improving its usage with the X1, so hopefully that does happen. I'm part of the small crowd that has enjoyed the experience and all the little features that it has added to the platform, so we will see if they still try to cater to that.

I also think its very interesting that MS announced this and the new Gold features before E3. I mean those two things alone are considered megaton-like announcements for many, so why not keep that until E3? I guess the hope is that it means MS really is going to focus on games at E3 and they have a good lineup to show off. This news has the potential to create positive buzz for MS leading up to E3 as well.

 

I'll start the auction at $20!

 

:p

You paid more than that for the ps4 camera which you found was better then the Kinect camera, but still. Be serious :p

 

 

Wow. Way to go MS. Nothing like changing your mind and back peddling on one of the core features of your console just 6 months after release.

Can you blame them? The people that like using Kinect or have interest in it are in the minority. The clear message from the internet community is for MS to drop it in some form.

Its a tough call to make, but hey, this is what most people wanted.

 

 

VR will be the next card that gets played and MS need to work on it ASAP if they aren't already. So desperation yes, but the "survival instinct" finally kicked in and they got their head out of the clouds.

VR is the new 3D or motion control, that is true. Not sure how MS should play that though. Its another big risk. They are being burned right now, is it wise to jump face first into trying to incorporate VR?

Sony is doing it, sure, but they also jumped into motion controls and 3D, so its not like its a guaranteed win for them. At this point, I would think about it very hard.

 

Removing Kinect doesn't mean it has to be forgotten about though. If that was ever anyone's concern then they do a lousy job of selling it today with only 2 games which are for sale and the rest of the benefits coming from the OS.

I agree that it has been poorly sold. It can be sold better though, even without more kinect-only titles.

I also agree that it does not mean it has to be forgotten, but considering how Sony treats their alternative, I'm hoping that is not where MS is going.

 

Removing Kinect would only be a blow to developer trust if they actually cared to implement it, and as I said above, that isn't the case and I'm willing to bet we'll hear from a few of them over the next few days congratulating them on the move. Cheaper consoles, more sales, more customers = happy publishers and devs.

Unfortunately, there are already indie developers that are working on games that use Kinect, so it will be a blow to some developers.

I'm the sure the majority will fall in line as you say, but its not going to be universal.

 

Voice control is one thing and only needs a mic, it's the motion, the passing fad, that MS wrongly invested heavily in IMO. Are there any numbers on how many people actually play Kinect games regularly and if it's something gamers actually "want" in large numbers?

Well as far as what Kinect can do. There is more to it then just voice control and gestures, but then those things were rarely brought up. MS at a high level was slow to articulate it.

As far as numbers, there aren't any. Just look at the internet community reaction if you want some kind of gauge. Even if they don't represent all gamers, their voice carries much more weight, so its a start.

 

PS4 records the last 15 minutes at all times so you never need to worry about missing out in the moment (unless your moment lasts 16 minutes  :s). I was under the impression the XB1 done something similar.

You are correct. The X1 is always recording the last 5 minutes and you can access that anytime by snapping in the game dvr app to capture and then jump into Upload Studio to edit. You do not need Kinect for that. The voice command is just a short cut that takes a quick 30 second clip.

 

 

X1 can only auto-record 30 second achievement unlocks or flagged moments in games without kinect, i.e when you rank up in BF4. I think it can also do it when it thinks something "cool" happened, i.e you have a kill streak etc. I get loads of them when I play and it can be random when it chooses to record, sometimes you're not really doing anything.

 

To record for 5 minutes you need to use the "Xbox, record that" command with Kinect.

 

The guide button is capable of multi-press commands so it wouldn't be too much to ask to add another or to customize it like you can the share button on the DS4. There's no delay and it's quicker than voice commands.

That is incorrect. I guess if you don't use the feature much, you might not stumble apon it, but as I said above, you can indeed make clips without Kinect.

Grand Master

spenser.d

Posted
Posted

 VR will be the next card that gets played and MS need to work on it ASAP if they aren't already.

 

Quite frankly I think VR is going to be about as popular as Kinect. I don't think it'll be the game changer people are talking about and, while I don't doubt Microsoft is thinking about their own VR, I don't think they'd hurt much by not getting on that bandwagon, just like Sony's not hurting by not getting on the Kinect bandwagon.

Grand Master

DrunknMunky Veteran

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VR is the new 3D or motion control, that is true. Not sure how MS should play that though. Its another big risk. They are being burned right now, is it wise to jump face first into trying to incorporate VR?

Sony is doing it, sure, but they also jumped into motion controls and 3D, so its not like its a guaranteed win for them. At this point, I would think about it very hard.

 

I agree that it has been poorly sold. It can be sold better though, even without more kinect-only titles.

I also agree that it does not mean it has to be forgotten, but considering how Sony treats their alternative, I'm hoping that is not where MS is going.

 

Unfortunately, there are already indie developers that are working on games that use Kinect, so it will be a blow to some developers.

I'm the sure the majority will fall in line as you say, but its not going to be universal.

That is incorrect. I guess if you don't use the feature much, you might not stumble apon it, but as I said above, you can indeed make clips without Kinect.

 

Well it is the new fad, but it's yet to be determined if it'll flop or not. I doubt Oculus will now that they have FB's backing, even with the resent towards it from the hardcore crowd. It's definitely a big risk to take, but MS have departments for these types of ideas and testing going on around the clock (as do most hardware companies). And again, just because Kinect have been unbundled doesn't mean it's dead. It can continue alongside the console and future peripherals/add-ons.

 

As for kinect titles, you and I have been over this numerous times, but there's no point saying it's not marketed as a gaming-only accessory as if somehow trying to avoid backlash, when they inadvertedly cause a backlash because they don't support it at all (besides 2 meddling reviewed games and OS integration). The "it's only 6 months in" excuse doesn't fly either when Kinect 1 came out the door with 10~ titles to support it. It needs to have game support, either as a prominent feature or at least a good back up role. There's nothing on the horizon which uses it in that way besides a few ID@Xbox titles that I've seen. If people want to nitpick you don't buy a console for indie games, you certainly don't justify Kinect with them either. The comments on Neowin's reports and elsewhere are proof enough. People wanted AAA games for kinect, not footnotes on a product description. If that wasn't MS's focus to begin with then there's nothing lost either. You're no worse off than you were yesterday with still nothing on the horizon besides Fantasia.

 

How do you record without Kinect? Would love to be able to do it without using it

Grand Master

trooper11

Posted
Posted

Close as in not really close at all?  I mean a 50% slower GPU and DDR3 isn't really 'close enough'...

The ram stuff is not as concrete as the gpu stuff is.

50% in raw performance difference is real. I think the gap can be reduced though, and by that I mean more games running at 1080p, not that suddenly the X1's gpu will become as powerful as the PS4's

Grand Master

+mram Subscriber²

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I would love to see MS still aggressively push Kinect as more than just a gaming device

 

It never was a gaming device; statistically speaking it was an interface tool.  For all that the Kinect provided, there were very few GAMES that used it in a way that was unique to GAMING.  For example, that driving game that used your hands instead of a steering wheel ... not sure if that ever saw the light of day, but that would be something that was using the kinect for gaming.  Logging in and out, instructing the unit to record the last few seconds, turning the unit on, that's not gaming.

 

And MS is more privy to the games coming down the pipeline -- I'd bet some easy odds that any games that used the kinect were more gimmick or pure interface tools than real AAA titles. 

 

At some point MS has to come to (or has come to) the understanding that if the games aren't going to come to the Kinect, they either need to do it themselves or just drop it.  Developers have spoken... or rather the consumers have spoken ... both are basically the same thing in this regard:  people won't pay for games that are imprecise or hard to control, and that's basically what the Kinect is.  In perfect scenarios it works great, but games are supposed to be fun, not struggling for the perfect scenario.  And given the choice, developers will always opt for the easy fun option, because that will be what sells.  That's fundamentally why devs aren't leaping to the Kinect platform for GAMING.  (Look at the reviews for Kinect Sports Rivals, they're all over the board, that does not bode well for a game released 6 months after the platform)

 

It still is an awesome niche interface item, but damn.  The writing was on the wall for this one the moment it was forcibly bundled.  You'd think MS would have learned...

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Grand Master

trooper11

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Well it is the new fad, but it's yet to be determined if it'll flop or not. I doubt Oculus will now that they have FB's backing, even with the resent towards it from the hardcore crowd. It's definitely a big risk to take, but MS have departments for these types of ideas and testing going on around the clock (as do most hardware companies). And again, just because Kinect have been unbundled doesn't mean it's dead. It can continue alongside the console and future peripherals/add-ons.

How would you recommend MS proceed then? Take the risk with VR and jump in completely?

As far as Kinect continuing, it sure can, but then it can also take on a much more diminished role as far as the attention MS gives it internally. MS already reduced the role Kinect played publicly by toning down how much they spoke about it compared to last gen.

As for kinect titles, you and I have been over this numerous times, but there's no point saying it's not marketed as a gaming-only accessory as if somehow trying to avoid backlash, when they inadvertedly cause a backlash because they don't support it at all (besides 2 meddling reviewed games and OS integration). The "it's only 6 months in" excuse doesn't fly either when Kinect 1 came out the door with 10~ titles to support it. It needs to have game support, either as a prominent feature or at least a good back up role. There's nothing on the horizon which uses it in that way besides a few ID@Xbox titles that I've seen. If people want to nitpick you don't buy a console for indie games, you certainly don't justify Kinect with them either. The comments on Neowin's reports and elsewhere are proof enough. People wanted AAA games for kinect, not footnotes on a product description.

I didn't make that excuse. I also didn't say those things about indie games. So you can make claims about other people that post if you want, but my post s have not been there.

You claimed that no developers would be upset or harmed by this and I just wanted to remind you that that was not true. As I said, they are a minority voice since they are indies, so of course they don't count as much. Usually indie developers carry a lot of weight though when they speak out.

I'm not going to try to debate the usefulness of Kinect since that has been done, people are already very entrenched in their feelings about it, and it doesn't matter anymore. Those of us few that do enjoy all of the little features it brings to the platform that surface while in games and outside of them are aware of what Kinect is doing to make that happen. For the majority, you no longer need to care or debate it.

How do you record without Kinect? Would love to be able to do it without using it

Simple:

1. pause your game

2. jump to the dash

3. hit the snap tile

4. choose game dvr

5. select end clip

6. pick your time frame

done

To save some time, I just pin the Game DVR tile to the dash so that when I jump to the dash, I just hit that tile and can skip hitting the snap tile.

Then you can go into Upload Studio to edit the clip as you see fit.

I do that all the time since I want longer than 30 second clips. I hope that Sony and MS at some point just allow us to start a manual record option and record as much as we like based on our free storage.

Grand Master

DrunknMunky Veteran

Posted
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Simple:

1. pause your game

2. jump to the dash

3. hit the snap tile

4. choose game dvr

5. select end clip

6. pick your time frame

done

To save some time, I just pin the Game DVR tile to the dash so that when I jump to the dash, I just hit that tile and can skip hitting the snap tile.

Then you can go into Upload Studio to edit the clip as you see fit.

I do that all the time since I want longer than 30 second clips. I hope that Sony and MS at some point just allow us to start a manual record option and record as much as we like based on our free storage.

 

Ah ok, not what I'm talking about or what I'm looking for. Can't be doing with that nonsense in MP games. Want a PS4 share button equivalent (Y)

 

As for developers being upset, I think Harmonix have been the only ones so far who are annoyed and I can't really tell if they're being serious not. The first few tweets were definitely sarcastic but the comments later sounded like they genuinely liked gamer's having more options. When you're going to be the only kinect game on the market for the foreseeable future, how annoyed can you really be though. Everyone is going to pick it up almost by default :laugh:

Grand Master

trooper11

Posted
Posted

It never was a gaming device; statistically speaking it was an interface tool.  For all that the Kinect provided, there were very few GAMES that used it in a way that was unique to GAMING. 

It still is an awesome niche interface item, but damn.  The writing was on the wall for this one the moment it was forcibly bundled.  You'd think MS would have learned...

The ironic thing is that I think they did learn.

Anyone that has followed the launch has seen MS message when it comes to Kinect. Just look back at all of the events up until now. MS already knew it was not going to make it as a stand alone device for gaming. It would be more useful as something that was leveraged by regular games in small or large ways and then as a new way to interact with your console.

Honestly, the only real issue is price. All this talk about how bad Kinect is has merit, but if MS had been able to hit a lower price point, it would have gone over better.

The features that Kinect does well has value, its just that its not enough value to enough people to warranty the price of the console. If Kinect was a $50 part and not a $150 part (or whatever the cost is), that would have gone over better as well.

Ah ok, not what I'm talking about or what I'm looking for. Can't be doing with that nonsense in MP games. Want a PS4 share button equivalent (Y)

It may not be what you are looking for, but it has worked fine for me while in MP games. Its not like jumping to the dash is slow.

It probably looks worse written out. But hey, having more experience on the ps4 will definitely lead to that reaction, no arguments.

The share button is very convenient.

Grand Master

+Audioboxer Subscriber²

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The ironic thing is that I think they did learn.

Anyone that has followed the launch has seen MS message when it comes to Kinect. Just look back at all of the events up until now. MS already knew it was not going to make it as a stand alone device for gaming. It would be more useful as something that was leveraged by regular games in small or large ways and then as a new way to interact with your console.

Honestly, the only real issue is price. All this talk about how bad Kinect is has merit, but if MS had been able to hit a lower price point, it would have gone over better.

The features that Kinect does well has value, its just that its not enough value to enough people to warranty the price of the console. If Kinect was a $50 part and not a $150 part (or whatever the cost is), that would have gone over better as well.

It may not be what you are looking for, but it has worked fine for me while in MP games. Its not like jumping to the dash is slow.

It probably looks worse written out. But hey, having more experience on the ps4 will definitely lead to that reaction, no arguments.

The share button is very convenient.

 

Well I wouldn't go that far yet with YouTube support missing and Sony having their own "list" to get content onto YT

 

1. Hit Share

2. Save Clip with any edits

3. Plug in USB device and transfer

4. wait.....

5. Plug into PC and upload to YouTube

6. wait.....

 

I mean, who uploads videos to Facebook?  :laugh:

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Grand Master

trooper11

Posted
Posted

Well I wouldn't go that far yet with YouTube support missing and Sony having their own "list" to get content onto YT

 

1. Hit Share

2. Save Clip with any edits

3. Plug in USB device and transfer

4. wait.....

5. Plug into PC and upload to YouTube

6. wait.....

 

I mean, who uploads videos to Facebook?  :laugh:

Yeah, neither is perfect by any means.

At least MS seem to get more of it right at launch just by simply allowing the clips to upload to onedrive. Anyone can set up a free account and then use the video as they see fit. I simply didn't save clips on the ps4 until Sony started to allow clips to be saved to a flash drive. I was not interested in uploading to social media.

Rising Star

uxo22

Posted
Posted

But the kinect isn't necessary for those features to work, as demonstrated by the PS4's share button.

 

On the subject of the DVR features though, hopefully they do get patched in because I only have the auto-30 second clips available to me without Kinect, which sucks. And hopefully the unplugged kinect icon will be gone too

Me personally, I'd rather just day it.  I like Kinect, really don't know why some many people make such a big deal about it.  As long as it's not in my way, I have no problem with it.

Grand Master

neoadorable

Posted
Posted

honestly, I don't know. I don't have One yet.

 

Excuse me, out of the seven pages thus far this is the most shocking news. I mean that, no sarcasm. You don't have an X1? SEIZE HIM? What the hell man?

 

As for the Kinect..where to begin. We all knew this would happen, but this may be one 180 too many. I now fear Larry's prophecy may indeed come true...so in 2016 we'll get X1.1 with 16GB RAM and a biggger GPU that can do WQHD with supersampling? All for progress, but that goes a little too much against what the "agreed upon" concept of a console is. This is turning a forty year old industry into the smartphone business, where anything goes and the lifespan is a season.

 

Most likely i'm just being annoying. This is not a bad move from a sales standpoint, though it should have been so from the start. Six months on...i'd have stuck to my guns. This really goes to show us how much in fighting was going on there before Don left, i would not want to see him and Phil in a room together by themselves.

 

I also now know my own Kinect can see the future, having stopped working two weeks ago.

Grand Master

DirtyLarry Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

I thought about this some more, and actually I am more ###### off about it then I was earlier.

 

I would have actually been fine with a price drop that still included Kinect. I could have sucked that up and absolutely written off as the price one pays for being an early adopter.

 

What I am not okay with is spending $100 more on a console at release and them taking away what was touted as one of the essential aspects of the overall experience itself. Kinect is the sole reason their console was $100 more at launch.

 

Even though I was never a fan of it, you can check my post history on this very site and see I have made it very clear I was not a fan of Kinect since it was introduced way back when, I came to grips with the fact the One was going to include it. Eventually I had no problem spending that additional $100 as I was assured that Kinect 2.0 was the differentiating factor that justified the reason their console's price was higher to begin with. That Kinect 2.0 offered a truly unique way of interacting with one's console. That what we were seeing at launch was only the beginning of what was possible with Kinect 2.0. The best was yet to come. Man, how little I actually knew.

 

So I just cannot come to grips with the fact this move today is the price one pays for being an early adopter.

What I do feel is this is the price one pays for dealing with a company who clearly does not commit to their plans and has no qualms or issues at all back pedaling on their stance. Even if the writing was on the wall, 6 months is hardly enough time to basically give up. Especially with technology. I think the PS3 is proof positive of this fact.

 

Yet here we are. And here I am stuck with a technology that I was forced to pay an extra $100 for that is now not going to get half the attention it would have gotten otherwise. And in keeping with my historical stance, I am not upset about game development. I am upset about the interactivity development. You just cannot convince me otherwise that they are now going to not dedicate as many resources as they would have otherwise if Kinect 2.0 was included with every console. That would be incredibly dumb to continue all out development for something all your audience will not own.

 

So MS and people can say they will still develop with Kinect 2.0 in mind. That fragmenting the audience is not going to impact the future of Kinect 2.0.

To that I respond really? Just refer to Google and Android to see how smoothly fragmenting the audience goes. And I happen to own an Android phone and Tablet, but I absolutely recognize things are not as smooth as they would be otherwise if the fragmentation did not exist to begin with.

 

It is just terribly disappointing as someone who did support the console on Day 1. Especially since I had many reservations doing so. Hell, I even cancelled my first preorder only to preorder it again about a month later. Now I am really wishing I listened to my gut. I would even actually consider it if I did not have so much damn credit due to Gift Cards for Live from Christmas. I truly would, but no way I am eating that money.

 

I simply now own an XBox One for exclusives and absolutely nothing else. Truth is that was pretty much my approach regardless, but now that is absolutely signed, sealed, and delivered.

 

So kudos MS. You really know how to treat your what I would think would be considered loyal customers. That is after all why I have the fancy controller with Day 1 written on it is it not?

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Grand Master

The_Decryptor Veteran

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Man that's stupid, any hope of developer support (Outside the Kinect style games the 360 had) is gone now, they've managed to retroactively make the Kinect useless for people who already own it.

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Anthony Tosie Veteran

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Yet here we are. And here I am stuck with a technology that I was forced to pay an extra $100 for that is now not going to get half the attention it would have gotten otherwise. And in keeping with my historical stance, I am not upset about game development. I am upset about the interactivity development. You just cannot convince me otherwise that they are now going to not dedicate as many resources as they would have otherwise if Kinect 2.0 was included with every console. That would be incredibly dumb to continue all out development for something all your audience will not own.

If it makes you feel any better (it won't), I very seriously doubt their attention to Kinect will change, since they never devoted much attention to it to begin with.

 

As far as only now owning it for exclusive games: The TV functionality is still great, IMO. Not worth the extra $100, but still a very nice feature. In the end, I would have bought Kinect regardless, but Microsoft is still ###### poor about offering much support for it (including features, games, etc).

Rising Star

Mandosis

Posted
Posted

Its a little sad to see them do this but I fully understand why they did what they did. Hopefully a few more of my friends will pick up the console because of this. I personally feel that the Kinect makes up 1/4 of the functionality as I use it all the time and it just would not be the same without it.

Proficient

Brendeth

Posted
Posted

Sad they are abandoning their vision, but otherwise glad that gamers are going to be a choice so early on and have a chance at a cheaper console right away. This might just be the thing they needed to push sales after the big game announcements at E3.

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      AdGuard Family lifetime deal now only $14.97 by Steven Parker Today's highlighted Neowin Deal comes via our Apps + Software section, where you can get a lifetime subscription and save 91% on a lifetime AdGuard Family Plan. AdGuard is a unique program that has all the necessary features for what they claim to be "the best web experience." The software combines the an advanced ad blocker, a privacy protection module, and a parental control tool—all working in one app. This software deals with annoying ads, hides your data from a multitude of trackers, protects you from malware attacks, and even lets you restrict your kids from accessing inappropriate content. Install AdGuard and see the internet as it was supposed to be: clean and safe. Get rid of annoying banners, pop-ups & video ads once and for all Hide your data from the multitude of trackers & activity analyzers that swarm the web Avoid fraudulent and phishing website and malware attacks Protect your kids online by restricting them from accessing inappropriate & adult content Good to know Family Plan Length of access: lifetime This plan is only available to new users Redemption deadline: redeem your code within 30 days of purchase Max number of devices: 9 Access options: desktop & mobile Software version: AdGuard Family Updates included A lifetime subscription of AdGuard Family Plan normally costs $169.99, but this deal can be yours for just $14.97, that's a saving of $157.02. For full terms, specifications, and license info please click the link below. Get this AdGuard Family lifetime deal for just $14.97 (was $169.99) Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. As an online publication, Neowin too relies on ads for operating costs and, if you use an ad blocker, we'd appreciate being whitelisted. In addition, we have an ad-free subscription for $28 a year, which is another way to show support! Support queries If you have queries or need support for any of the Neowin Deals, please use the contact form here. Neowin Deals are managed and sold by StackCommerce who represent Neowin on an affiliate basis. Why we post these deals We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. So for those that keep moaning and complaining, be thankful we're still online for you to even do that. Other ways to support Neowin Whitelist Neowin by not blocking our ads Create a free member account to see fewer ads Make a donation to support our day to day running costs Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: Neowin benefits from revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site powered by StackCommerce.
    • Newegg offers insane combo deal on Amazon Prime Day 2026 that beats Steam Machine

      By sphbecker · Posted

      Sadly "beats Steam Machine" isn't much of a brag.
    • An oversimplified explanations of Passkeys

      By +Warwagon · Posted

      Passkeys: Think of them like a broken heart necklace. Imagine one of those heart necklaces that breaks into two matching pieces. One person keeps one half, and the other person keeps the other half. With passkeys, the website has one half, and you have the other half. If the website gets hacked and someone steals its half, that stolen piece is useless by itself. It cannot unlock your account without your matching half. This particular heart necklace is one of a kind, there is only one in existence. Your half of the necklace has to be stored somewhere. It might be stored on your phone, tablet, computer, security key, or a password manager that can sync it between all your devices. A security key is a small physical device that you keep with you, kind of like a house key, car key, or flash drive. I would not usually recommend a security key as the first option for the average person. For most people, it is easier to use their phone, computer, or a password manager that can sync passkeys between their devices. A security key is more like a spare key you keep in a safe place, just in case you lose access to your other devices or your password manager. Some security keys plug into your computer. Some plug into your phone or tablet. Some get tapped against your device. The idea is simple: a security key can hold another passkey for the same website. Think of it like creating a second one-of-a-kind heart necklace for the same account. One necklace could be paired with your password manager, while another necklace could be paired with your security key. That means the website has more than one matching half on file. One half matches the passkey in your password manager. Another half matches the passkey stored on your security key. So, if you lose access to your phone, computer, or password manager, you would still be able to log in using the passkey stored on your security key. Think of it like keeping an extra special necklace piece on a tiny keychain, stored somewhere safe. The website still has the matching half for that security key, but your half is safely stored inside the little key. A passkey does not automatically exist on every device you own. It lives wherever you save it. If your half is stored on one device, then that device is the one that has the matching piece. For example, if you create the passkey on your Windows computer and it is only saved to that computer, your iPhone does not automatically have that same half. If you create it on your iPhone and it only stays on that iPhone, your Android phone does not automatically have it either. That is where password managers come in. A password manager can act like a protected jewelry box for your passkeys. Instead of your half of the necklace being locked to only one device, the password manager can securely sync that half to your other approved devices. For example, Apple Passwords and iCloud Keychain can sync passkeys between your Apple devices. Google Password Manager can sync passkeys with your Google account. But password managers such as 1Password and Bitwarden can sync passkeys between everything, your phones, tablets and computers. Now, you might ask: “What happens if I lose access to the device that has my passkey?” That depends on where your passkey was saved and what recovery options the website gives you. If your passkey was synced through a password manager, you may be able to sign in from another device that has access to that same password manager. For example, if your passkey is saved in iCloud Keychain, Google Password Manager, 1Password, or Bitwarden, another approved device may still have access to it. If your passkey was saved only on one phone, computer, or security key, and you lose that device, then you may not have your half of the necklace anymore. In that case, you would usually need to use the website’s backup login or account recovery options. A lot of websites that support passkeys still let you fall back to your regular password. So if you lose access to your passkey, the site may still let you log in with your password, a code sent to your email, a text message, a recovery code, or some other account recovery process. That is convenient, but it is also important to understand: if the website still allows password login, then your password still matters. Passkeys are safer than passwords, but if your account still has a password as a backup, you should still use a strong, unique password and turn on two-factor authentication if the website offers it. This is why it is a good idea to have more than one safe way back into important accounts. For example, you might keep your passkey in a syncing password manager, add a second trusted device, save recovery codes somewhere safe, or set up a backup security key. A passkey is very secure, but just like a real key, you need a backup plan in case you lose access to it. Now, you might ask: “What stops a hacker from copying my half of the necklace?” That’s the important part: your half is protected. It is not something you type in, and it is not something the website gets to keep. Think of your half as being locked inside a tiny safe on your phone, computer, security key, or password manager. That safe only opens when you approve it with your fingerprint, face, PIN, or device password. When you log in, the website does not need to see your half. It only needs proof that your half matches its half. Your actual half is not handed over to the website. This is different from a password. With a password, you type the secret into the website. If you type it into a fake website, the hacker now has it. With a passkey, you are not typing your secret into the website. Your device is proving you have the matching half without giving the half away. That also helps protect you from fake websites. If someone makes a fake login page that looks like the real site, your device can tell it is not the real match. It will not use your passkey there. Now, could someone use your passkey if they stole your device, got into your password manager, or somehow unlocked the safe that holds your half? Yes, that is why your device password, PIN, fingerprint, face unlock, and password manager security still matter. But a hacker cannot just steal your passkey from the website or trick you into typing it into a fake page like they can with a password. That is why passkeys are safer than passwords. The two matching pieces have to come together, like two lovebirds who were once separated and are finally reunited.
    • Newegg offers insane combo deal on Amazon Prime Day 2026 that beats Steam Machine

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      Newegg offers insane combo deal on Amazon Prime Day 2026 that beats Steam Machine by Sayan Sen Building a PC is undoubtedly difficult nowadays but with this epic combo deal, Newegg is trying to make it as easy for you as it is possible. If you are making a new one or even upgrading an old system to a new Windows 11 device, this combo bundle is truly unmissable as you get AMD's Ryzen 9800X3D, a compatible X870 motherboard, a 240mm AIO liquid cooler and finally a Samsung 990 PRO SSD all for under $1000 (purchase link under the specs table down below). This should beat out the newly launched Steam Machine from Valve in terms of performance and performance per dollar especially if you are willing to set Linux up on it. Essentially with this combo you will get the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 8-core 3D V cache CPU, Samsung's 990 PRO 2TB NVMe SSD, the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX Motherboard, and finally the Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240. Thanks to that massive vertically stacked L3 cache, the X3D desktop processors, including the 9800X3D, also come with the benefit of not needing fast memory. Even DDR5-5600 should be plenty for it. The technical specifications of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D are given in the table below: Specification Value Architecture Zen 5 Cores / Threads 8 / 16 Base Clock 4.7 GHz Max Boost Clock Up to 5.2 GHz L1 Cache 640 KB L2 Cache 8 MB L3 Cache 96 MB Total Cache 104 MB CPU Core Process TSMC 4nm FinFET I/O Die Process TSMC 6nm FinFET Socket AM5 Default TDP 120W Max Temperature (Tjmax) 95°C Thermal Solution Not included Memory Type DDR5 Max Capacity 256 GB Memory Speeds 2x1R: DDR5-5600 2x2R: DDR5-5600 4x1R: DDR5-3600 4x2R: DDR5-3600 PCIe Version PCIe 5.0 PCIe Lanes (Total/Usable) 28 / 24 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) 4 USB 2.0 1 Graphics Cores 2 CU RDNA 2 Frequency 2200 MHz DisplayPort over USB-C Yes Overclocking Unlocked Up next we have the tech specs for the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI Motherboard: Specification Value Chipset AMD X870 CPU Support AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 Series Desktop Processors Socket AM5 Memory Slots 4 × DDR5 UDIMM Maximum Memory Capacity 256GB Memory Support DDR5 8400–5600 MT/s (OC), DDR5 5600–4800 MT/s (JEDEC) Integrated Graphics Outputs 1 × HDMI 2.1 FRL (up to 8K 60Hz) 2 × USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3 (up to 4K 60Hz) Expansion Slots PCI_E1: PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU) PCI_E2: PCIe 3.0 x1 (Chipset) PCI_E3: PCIe 4.0 x4 (Chipset) Audio Realtek ALC4080 Codec 7.1-Channel USB High Performance Audio Supports up to 32-bit/384kHz playback on front panel S/PDIF output M.2 Slots 4 × M.2 M2_1: PCIe 5.0 x4 (CPU, 22110/2280) M2_2: PCIe 5.0 x4 (CPU, 2280/2260) M2_3: PCIe 4.0 x2 (Chipset, 2280/2260) M2_4: PCIe 4.0 x4 (Chipset, 2280/2260) SATA Ports 4 × SATA 6Gb/s RAID Support RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 for M.2 NVMe storage devices Rear USB Ports 4 × USB 2.0 3 × USB 5Gbps Type-A 2 × USB 10Gbps Type-A 1 × USB 10Gbps Type-C 2 × USB4 40Gbps Type-C Front USB Headers 4 × USB 2.0 4 × USB 5Gbps Type-A 1 × USB 20Gbps Type-C LAN Realtek 8126-CG 5G LAN Wireless Wi-Fi 7 (M.2 Key-E module pre-installed) Supports 2.4GHz / 5GHz / 6GHz bands Up to 5.8Gbps Supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.4, MLO, 4KQAM Internal Power Connectors 1 × 24-pin ATX Power 2 × CPU Power Connectors 1 × PCIe 8-pin Power Connector Fan Headers 1 × CPU Fan 1 × Combo Fan (Pump/System) 6 × System Fan RGB Headers 3 × Addressable V2 RGB (JARGB_V2) 1 × RGB LED (JRGB) Other Internal Headers 1 × EZ Conn-header 2 × Front Panel Headers 1 × Chassis Intrusion 1 × Front Audio 1 × TPM 2.0 Header Debug Features 4 × EZ Debug LEDs 1 × EZ Digit Debug LED Rear I/O Ports Clear CMOS Button Flash BIOS Button HDMI 2 × USB 40Gbps Type-C 1 × USB 10Gbps Type-C 4 × USB 10Gbps Type-A 3 × USB 5Gbps Type-A 4 × USB 2.0 5G LAN Port Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Antenna Connectors Audio Connectors Form Factor ATX The Samsung 990 PRO is a PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD and still one of the fastest drives available today for under $500. Speaking of fast, sequential reads and writes are rated at 7450 MB/s and 6900 MB/s, respectively. The random throughputs for reads and writes are 1400K IOPS and 1550K IOPS, respectively. The 990 PRO is based on Samsung's 7th Gen V-NAND flash, and it too is TLC. It packs 2 gigs of LPDDR4 DRAM cache, which helps the random performance. The endurance rating for this is 1200 TBW (terabytes written), which should be sufficient for most users. The Samsung 990 PRO is compatible with the PlayStation 5, but if you are going to use the 990 PRO on a PC, check out the Samsung Magician app that lets you track your drive's health, update its firmware, customize various settings, and more. The tech specs are given below: Specification Value Interface PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 Form Factor M.2 2280 Controller Samsung In-house Controller NAND Flash 3D TLC DRAM Cache 2GB LPDDR4 Sequential Read (Max) 7,450 MB/s Sequential Write (Max) 6,900 MB/s Random Read (4K) Up to 1,400,000 IOPS Random Write (4K) Up to 1,550,000 IOPS TBW (Endurance) 1,200 TBW MTBF 1,500,000 hours Operating Temperature 0°C to 70°C Storage Temperature -40°C to 85°C Shock Resistance 1,500G / 0.5ms Heatsink No Get the combo deal at this link: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Samsung 990 PRO 2TB, MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI motherboard, Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240: $784.99 + $25 off with promo code FTTF77: $759.99 (Sold and Shipped by Newegg US) Good to know This Newegg deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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