Microsoft discontinues Kinect production AI-researched
Dependency: Microsoft Kinect depth sensor
Microsoft ceased Kinect production in October 2017, orphaning one of the most widely adopted tools in interactive art. Artists like Kyle McDonald and Memo Akten, and institutions like SFMOMA, had built significant bodies of work and exhibitions on Kinect's depth-sensing capabilities.
Fixes & Mitigations
- Workaround: Thousands of Kinect sensors remain available secondhand. Microsoft briefly revived the technology as Azure Kinect DK (2019) but discontinued that too in 2023.
- Migration: Intel RealSense, Orbbec, and other depth sensors can replace Kinect in some applications, but require code changes and produce different data characteristics.
Microsoft ceased Kinect production in October 2017. The Azure Kinect DK (2019), a brief enterprise-focused revival, was also discontinued in 2023.
What changed
Kinect was adopted by the interactive art world far beyond Microsoft’s gaming intentions. Its affordable depth-sensing camera enabled body tracking, gesture recognition, 3D scanning, and spatial interaction without physical contact. Artists like Kyle McDonald (Light Leaks, Unlearning Language) and Memo Akten built significant bodies of work on Kinect. SFMOMA used Kinect cameras for depth mapping in interactive exhibitions. Nine Inch Nails used Kinect sensors in live performances.
With production ceased, existing installations face hardware attrition — sensors fail, cables degrade, USB controllers become incompatible with newer operating systems. As one commentator noted at the time: “Museums which feature Kinect-powered interactive art might want to go on eBay and buy a few backups.”
Notes
The Kinect’s discontinuation is a pure hardware obsolescence event. The software libraries still work, the code still compiles — but the physical sensor is no longer manufactured, and each failure of an installed unit brings the artwork closer to death. Alternative depth sensors exist but produce different data, altering the artwork’s behavior.