Xbox One to ship without headsets

But there’s always Kinect!

It’s been nearly a week since Microsoft announced its decision to scrap their DRM policy — a decision met with some mixed, albeit mostly-positive reactions. In light of this, many gamers are now prepared to give the Xbox One a second chance, while others may find the $499 price tag a bit too steep. For that price, you’d feel it safe to assume Microsoft would toss in a headset. You’d be wrong.

In a statement to arstechnica, Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox One will not include the official headset unveiled earlier this month. It reads as follows:

Xbox One does not include a pack-in headset accessory. Each Xbox One includes the new Kinect sensor, with a highly sensitive multi-array microphones designed to enable voice inputs and chat as a system-level capability, both in-game and with Skype and other experiences. For gamers who prefer a headset, we have a variety of offerings that you can find on the Xbox Wire.

Wired headsets were often bundled with the Xbox 360 — the Core and Arcade bundles being the exception — so this decision may raise an eyebrow or two, but I find it unlikely anyone would consider the missing headset to be a deal breaker. However, seeing as every user will have Kinect, you may want to prepare yourselves for the inevitable joy of listening to everyone harass each other over a series of room mics. After all, there’s nothing like having to listen to someone’s television in the background while you’re busy trying to coordinate your team.