Just Dance finally dumps Kinect and Xbox One with Just Dance 2023

The latest entry in the long-running Just Dance video game franchise, Just Dance 2023, is now available to play on Microsoft’s Xbox Series X family of consoles though, surprisingly, not on Microsoft’s last-gen Xbox One consoles.

This means that not only was Just Dance 2022 the final game in the series to release on Xbox One, it was also the last Just Dance game to support the Kinect motion sensor. While Just Dance 2022 did also release on the Xbox Series X generation of Xbox consoles, players on those consoles had to use a smartphone with a dedicated app for the title’s motion detection as the Kinect doesn’t work with the Xbox Series X. The free Just Dance smartphone app is also needed play Just Dance 2023.

The abandoning of the Xbox One is a bit of a surprise as Just Dance has a history of supporting video game consoles long after most other franchises jumped ship. For example, the series was still releasing on the Xbox 360 as recently as Just Dance 2019.

Rather amusingly, Just Dance 2019 was the final game in the series to launch on Nintendo’s WiiU console yet Just Dance 2020 still got a release on the Nintendo Wii, a console two generations behind the Nintendo Switch.

Just Dance 2023 is also sticking to current-gen consoles on PlayStation as well with it coming out on Sony’s PlayStation 5 exclusively, leaving the PS4 behind.

One likely reason for this change is budgetary. The Just Dance franchise isn’t as popular as it used to be and many companies are cutting budgets across the board, including in the games industry. Another possible, though unlikely, reason is the noticeable UI and design aesthetic change made with Just Dance 2023 and the promised support for online multiplayer coming sometime next year. None of these features should require high-end hardware though as the game is essentially just a music video player with, now, zero input from cameras. Also, online multiplayer was actually already a feature in Just Dance 2019 on Xbox One consoles.

Are you going to give Just Dance 2023 a try or have you moved on from the franchise? Let us know in the comments below.