A Look at the Xbox One Kinect: What It Does and What the Xbox One Can Do Without It

When the Xbox One standard was first announced, a lot people, even fans have been against the idea of forcing gamers to have the Kinect, Xbox's famed accessory that dates back to the Xbox 360.

It doesn't help that, when put side-by-side against the PS4, the standard Xbox One bundle is a full $100 cheaper than the PS4, as the latter has put its PS4 Camera as an accessory to the next-gen console rather than a focused feature.

Now that the Xbox One is out, here's a quick guide of what can be done with the Kinect, what the Xbox One can do without the Kinect and some myths regarding the Kinect.

Encountering problems with your Xbox One console? Here are the top five problems spotted at launch.

Xbox One's Kinect X-ray Vision Disconfirmed

One of the proudest announcements that the Xbox One had with the Kinect is that it features quite a number of improvements over its current-gen counterparts. And it's so much so that the Xbox One Kinect can detect quite a lot of details that can prove useful in detailed gaming experiences.

But before you have a Lois Lane moment and start thinking that the Xbox One Kinect's vision is so powerful it can see through clothing, think again---that's not the case.

Last-minute Black Friday deals that you shouldn't miss out on: Read about the offers for PlayStation and Xbox games and more.

IGN has dispelled this theory, stating that the accuracy of the Kinect has its limitations, and any thoughts of magic and x-ray vision on the Xbox One should be forgotten. It has, however, become even more accurate, detailing ripples and fine lines and adding to its max number of people that can be detected at one time.

Something to look forward to with Xbox One: Microsoft's 3-year warranty offer and "Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare" coming out in Q1 2014.

Inside the Kinect: Replaceable Parts and High Repairability

In order to compare the Xbox One's Kinect 2.0 with its predecessor, iFixit has already conducted its teardown to reveal that its internal design is more straightforward compared to the first generation. In addition to the replaceable parts, its repairability scale is at par with the Xbox One, which according to previous reports, is on the same level as the PS4.

Tom's Hardware reports that the teardown has yielded one camera, one IR camera, three emitters, an SDRAM that's from Samsung, IR projector and a 5-V DC fan.

A comparison some features and hardware between the PS4 and Xbox One: Read more here.

Avoid Swears When Using Xbox One's Kinect for Upload Studio

Microsoft has already introduced the new griefing system that separates "bad" players from "moderate" players and "good" players.

This time, Microsoft may also be keeping watch of swear words used in public videos that you post via the Upload Studio app.

The Kinect is a great feature for this, and there are new reports of how people are now suffering the consequence of a temporary ban after swearing in a video uploaded via Upload Studio app. And it also took away the option of using that app due to their "bad behavior," reports Polygon.

PS4 has its own share of problems (and fixes): Check them out here if you also own a PS4.

Interestingly, there are also reports that even private calls in Skype peppered with cuss words can get you banned from using that app, as was the case of one user. Though Microsoft has already given its official statement that Skype conversations are not monitored. However, Upload Studio does require a user to have their filter on when they create videos, as it is more sensitive to profanity and can get them temporarily banned.

Capture some video footage with the Xbox One, but gameplay streaming is still delayed til 2014: Read the full story here.

The Xbox One and the Kinect as a Universal Remote

Some ingenious minds keep trying to push the Xbox One and Kinect up to the max, and CNet has found a way to make use of the Xbox One and the Kinect and transform it into a universal remote.

This way, users can now control even their TV, cable box and home theater system using the voice commands. Check out the link for the complete step-by-step guide to setting it up so you can try it for yourself.

Without the Xbox One Kinect...

Given all of that, there may still be others who find the Kinect to be a waste of budget for being pre-bundled with the Xbox One.

While advertised as heavily dependent on the Kinect, the Xbox One does have some features that gamers can access and use without the need for a Kinect. PC Mag reports that users can easily play games and use apps with the Kinect unplugged, so long as they don't make use of the Kinect as a prominent, central feature.

Watching TV is possible, but only if you are tuned into one channel alone for the rest of the day, as the Kinect is required to change channels. But then again, users can use the top-box remote control for that as well.

PC games are on a roll with developments: Read here for details on "World of Warcraft's" 5th expansion, "Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft's" translation to mobile devices and "Star Citizen's" next stretch goals.

Snapping up apps is also possible, but it can be a drag, since Microsoft may have focused and constructed the Xbox One features in relation to the Kinect, instead of putting the Kinect as an add-on.

Without the Kinect, the Xbox One is still a gaming console, but perhaps what makes it a next-gen console in terms of its new features and capabilities may have a lot to do with the Kinect.