The Xbox One will be shipping to gamers who have preordered the device with a Kinect motion controller and a wireless controller, but not with a headset. Though the Xbox 360 headset is shipped standard with the console, and Microsoft will have a next-gen headset available for the Xbox One, the company will not include one along with the console itself. A Microsoft representative relayed this news to Ars Technica, saying that the Kinect will represent voice options for gamers initially:
"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."
Microsoft has yet to discuss how much the new Xbox One headsets will cost. The company has confirmed that, like all other Xbox 360 extras, existing headsets will not be forward compatible with the Xbox One, and gamers will have to buy new ones if they do not wish to use the Kinect to communicate with fellow gamers.
This is the latest example of controversial Xbox One news to be revealed to the public. Though Microsoft has decided to reverse their always online policies and used game stance, many questions surrounding the Xbox One have yet to be resolved. Questions about the console's high price continue to surface, despite Microsoft attempting to convince gamers that $499 is cheap considering all the value you get from the device. However, The Xbox One continues to take in huge preorder requests from gamers, indicating that not all gamers have been turned off by the system.
The Xbox One will be available in November of this year.