The Kinect Adapter was given to many Xbox One S buyers for free for several weeks after that console’s launch but with the arrival of the Xbox One X, gamers have been forced to buy this official accessory themselves if they wish to continue using the Kinect sensor with their new console.

This sudden need to connect the Kinect to Xbox One X consoles, which has been selling incredibly well by all accounts, has led to a surge in demand for the Kinect Adapter and has resulted in it ranking in the top 100 of Amazon’s prominent Video Games sales category. At the time of this writing, the Kinect Adapter is currently 80th on the sales list, making it more popular than digital versions of Star Wars Battlefront II and the 1TB model of Sony’s PlayStation 4 Slim. It’s also currently ranked at #34 in the Video Games Accessories list.

This popularity is particularly notable as the Kinect Adapter has been sold out on Amazon for a while now which means that if more were available, it would likely rank even higher.

The Kinect launched alongside the original Xbox One but the Xbox One S and Xbox One X lacked direct support for the peripheral so the Kinect Adapter is necessary to make it connect and function on the newer consoles.

Microsoft very recently (and quietly) announced that they would be ceasing manufacturing of the Kinect sensor due to an apparent lack of interest in it from Xbox One owners but the obvious popularity of the Kinect Adapter could suggest that the Kinect is more popular than Microsoft could have thought. This popularity has the potential to frustrate new Xbox One S and X buyers who are investing in an Xbox console with the intention of using the Kinect for the many dance and party games it has or even to enjoy the voice commands and Cortana integration. One need only search Twitter to find numerous outraged shoppers who were unaware that they had to buy an extra accessory just to hook the Kinect up to their new console.

@MicrosoftHelps I love using the Kinect on my Xbox One which I have owned since day 1, but I am a little upset that to keep using the Kinect on my One X I have to purchase an adapter that you don't have in stock forcing me to pay a premium from a 3rd party vendor #nothappy — Greg Harper (@gharp57broncos) November 11, 2017

Dear @XboxSupport, are there plans to make the Kinect adapter more affordable than $40?

Make it $20 and you've got a deal. I know it's being dropped going forward, but it's a great accessory for those of us with kids.

Not to mention the indoor exercise it provides for all ages! — Kick Frenzy (@Kick_Frenzy) November 10, 2017

@XboxP3 I have one complaint. If we just paid $500 to update our console (or trade-ins and such), we should not have to pay another $40 to keep our Kinect hooked up. You need to run that free adapter promo again for new X owners. Please. — Michael Mullis – NLG (@StingerNLG) November 11, 2017

So apparently my fancy new Xbox One X needs a separate $40 adapter to continue to use my Kinect. A separate adapter which is out of stock everywhere. The exciting experience of a system upgrade has now turned into a fucking hassle. Thanks @Microsoft — Cool Ed (@eddasaurus) November 12, 2017

Yet worse your adapter is half the price of the Kinect itself. You should be ashamed of yourselves for treating loyal customers like this @XboxSupport @xboxuk @Xbox — Rex Lampier (@thread_puller) November 11, 2017

Do you think Microsoft underestimated how many people use the Kinect with their Xbox One and how much of an incentive it is to buy an Xbox One for many consumers? Should Microsoft make a new Kinect that can connect directly into their newer consoles? Share your thoughts with the community in the comments below.

Edit: Immediately after publishing this article, the Kinect Adapter jumped up to #78 on Amazon’s Video Games list.

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