Microsoft will start selling Xbox One without Kinect sensor starting June 9th. The new option will get a price tag of $399 (a $100 drop in price), which will level the console to the same price as the Sony’s PlayStation 4.

This is an expected, but unexpected move as the company has many times firmly stated that the Kinect sensor is an essential part of Xbox One that has to ship with every console. But now it seems that Microsoft is having a change of heart as a result of customer’s feedback.

“We’ve also heard from people they just like to play games with the controller in their hands,” Phil Spencer states in a new post at Xbox Wire. “We’ll continue to innovate on Kinect, I think it’s an important differentiate or for us, but I also know there are people out there that want to make the choice when they want to make it.”

The Xbox One plus Kinect bundle at $499 will continue to be sold, but customers will also have the choice to get only the console for $100 less.

Source Microsoft