The short answer: Microsoft stopped making the Kinect years ago, but the idea — kids playing by moving their whole body in front of a camera — is alive. Hoppo plays camera-controlled active games free in your web browser during early access, using the camera on a laptop, tablet or phone you already own. The Nex Playground is a dedicated camera console for the TV, and Just Dance 2026 turns a smartphone into a motion tracker on today's consoles.
What happened to the Kinect
The Kinect was Microsoft's motion-sensing camera for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. A depth camera tracked players' bodies, so families could bowl, dance and jump through games with no controller. Microsoft ended manufacturing of the Kinect for Xbox One in October 2017, and Ubisoft notes that Xbox ended support for it in late 2021.
You can still buy a used sensor and old discs, and plenty of families do. The catch is that you need an Xbox 360 or Xbox One (plus an adapter for the Xbox One S or One X), the sensor needs a lot of floor space, and no new games are coming.
Who should just keep their old Kinect: if it still works, your TV room has the space, and your kids love the games you have, keep it. The options below are for families starting fresh.
The alternatives
1. Hoppo — Kinect-style games in your browser, no console
Hoppo is screen time that earns its place — kids move their whole bodies to play, so active time and fun time are the same thing.
Hoppo uses the camera on a device you already own to follow your kid's hands and body, so their movement is the controller — popping bubbles, dodging hazards, matching dance moves, and tracing letters in the air. Several games also teach letters and math. There's nothing to buy or install: open the site and play. It's free during early access, built for ages 5-8, and video never leaves the device — all tracking happens locally in your browser. Want it on the big screen? Plug a laptop into the TV.
2. Nex Playground — the closest thing to a new Kinect
The Nex Playground is a small camera console that plugs into your TV and tracks up to four players, with a catalog of family motion games. At the time of writing it costs $299 for the console, plus an optional Play Pass for the full catalog at $49 for 3 months or $89 for 12 months. If you're weighing it up, our Nex Playground alternatives guide goes deeper.
3. Just Dance 2026 with Camera Controller — if you already own a console
Ubisoft built Camera Controller because fans kept asking for a Kinect replacement. A smartphone's camera tracks the dancer's whole body through the Just Dance Controller app, on PlayStation 5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. It's dancing only, Camera Controller is for solo players, and you need the game plus a console.
4. A used Kinect — the nostalgia route
Used Kinect sensors and games are easy to find online. They work, but you're buying discontinued hardware with no support, and you'll need an old Xbox to run it.
Comparison at a glance
Prices below are at the time of writing — check each product's site for current pricing.
| Used Kinect | Hoppo | Nex Playground | Just Dance 2026 (Camera Controller) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Used sensor + games, plus an old Xbox | Free during early access | $299 console + optional Play Pass ($49 / 3 mo, $89 / 12 mo) | The game, plus a console you own |
| Hardware needed | Xbox 360 or Xbox One + Kinect sensor | A laptop, tablet or phone with a camera | Nex console + TV | PS5, Xbox or Switch + a smartphone |
| Still supported | No — discontinued | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Players | Multiplayer | One player at a time | Up to 4 players | Solo with Camera Controller |
| Game types | Sports, adventure, dance (older catalog) | Active games plus letters and math practice, ages 5-8 | Family motion games (dance, sports, more) | Dance only |
| Privacy | Camera stays with the console | Video never leaves the device — tracking runs in your browser | On-device tracking; no video to the cloud (per Nex) | Phone camera via Ubisoft's app |
Who should pick what
- Pick Hoppo if you want Kinect-style play for a 5-8-year-old today without buying anything — it runs on a laptop, tablet or phone you already have.
- Pick Nex Playground if you want a dedicated living-room console with multiplayer for the whole family, and the budget covers the hardware.
- Pick Just Dance 2026 if you already own a PS5, Xbox or Switch and your kid mainly wants to dance.
- Keep the old Kinect if it still works and your kids love the games you already have.
Why active screen time matters
Health experts recommend kids ages 5-8 get at least 60 minutes of active play every day — right now only about 1 in 5 kids gets it. Hoppo won't replace a trip to the park, but every game requires real body movement, so the time your child spends in front of Hoppo is time their body is actually working.