Microsoft removes option to control Xbox One menu with gestures

Microsoft has decided to remove support for Kinect gesture dashboard navigation. With the release of the new Xbox One Experience, this option will disappear from the software. The decision was made because the feature is little used, according to Microsoft.

This is what Mike Ybarra, responsible for Xbox at Microsoft, tells in an interview with Windows Central. He states that Microsoft wants to focus on features that users demand. “Usage was very low”, says Ybarra “we had to ask ourselves whether it is still worth the investment”.

Originally, the Kinect was bundled with every Xbox One and Microsoft advertised the dashboard navigation through gestures. Pretty soon, Microsoft offered the option to purchase the console without Kinect at a discounted price.

Microsoft indicates that only the dashboard navigation will disappear and that other software will continue to work with the Kinect, including Skype, biometric login and Kinect games. Available November 12, the new Xbox One Experience features faster interface and backwards compatibility for Xbox 360 games.