Latest from Windows Central in Kinect

A Kinect‑style console outsold Xbox, and Nex’s CEO breaks down the strategy that made it a surprise hit — “Nintendo expanded the audience”

Adam Hales — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 15:08:17 +0000

You may or may not have heard of the Nex Playground, a small Kinect-inspired, Wii-like device that has made headlines after outselling Xbox hardware in the U.S. during November. This is a particularly telling moment for console sales, given the impact of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Likely helped by weaker Xbox performance overall due to its lack of sales, Nex Playground edged past Xbox Series X|S to claim third place in units sold for the month, I’m sure in part thanks to its $250 price tag.

Devices like this serve as a stark reminder, at least to me, of how short-sighted Microsoft can sometimes be. The shutdown of Windows Phone, which could have strengthened Microsoft’s broader ecosystem efforts, and the eventual closure of Cortana, an early AI voice assistant, both stand out as missed opportunities that feel especially relevant in hindsight.

Nex CEO says Wii lessons and subscriptions are key

Trailer screenshot of the Nex Playground console (Image credit: Nex Inc.)

In an interview with The Game Business, the CEO of Nex, David Lee, said the company set out to learn from the rise of Nintendo’s Wii, but also from the challenges that followed. While Wii succeeded in bringing new audiences into gaming, Lee explained that many of those players only ever bought a handful of games, creating long-term Sustainability issues for the platform. Lee goes on to say:

Nintendo expanded the audience with Wii. When you expand the audience, and they want different things, and they only buy Wii Fit, Wii Sports and not many others… that’s a bit of a problem.
David Lee, CEO of NEX

Building on this, Lee added:

If we build a platform and people come in and buy a couple of games and that’s it…the whole system is not sustainable. It’s just not.
David Lee, CEO of NEX

The Nex Playground has since found success with younger audiences, offering games based on popular IP such as Bluey, Peppa Pig, Fruit Ninja, and more.

Access to that library is handled through Play Pass, a subscription service that unlocks a growing catalogue of games for a recurring fee. The parallels with Xbox Game Pass are clear, although the focus here is firmly on families and younger players rather than a broader gaming audience.

Oh, how this could have been Kinect

Kinect (Image credit: Matt Brown | Windows Central)

As mentioned at the start, Microsoft’s ability to be short-sighted can be impressive at times. Here, it is easy to imagine an alternative reality where Microsoft repurposed Kinect toward a more family-oriented audience, expanding what an Xbox could be years before the phrase “this is an Xbox” was ever coined.

Instead, Kinect was discontinued in 2017, and we do not live in a world where Microsoft can see the future. With the benefit of hindsight, Nex Playground makes it hard not to wonder whether that decision was too hasty, and to add insult to injury, their vision aligns with just what Microsoft wants to do, with Lee adding:

It would be great if there would be a Playground in every living room.
David Lee, CEO of NEX

As Nex’s CEO makes clear, the console’s success wasn’t an accident In an industry that often chases power over play, its Kinect‑like approach proved there’s still room for hardware that prioritizes inclusivity over specs.

Whether this strategy can be replicated in today’s market is another question entirely, but its unexpected victory over Xbox stands as a reminder that sometimes the biggest wins come from thinking outside the traditional console race.

Do you think Microsoft should have repurposed Kinect rather than discontinuing it, or did it make the right call at the time? Share your thoughts below, and let us know how you feel about Microsoft’s ongoing tendency to end support for hardware and software that later feels more relevant than ever.

Xbox did so badly on US Black Friday sales its SKUs were beaten by a console you've never heard of

Adam Hales — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 15:00:21 +0000

Black Friday has just wrapped up, and we now have a look at the top three best-selling console SKUs in the US, thanks to Circana. There is a bit of a surprise here, and it manages to beat out both PlayStation and Xbox Series hardware. The NEX Playground.

The Nex Playground is a motion-controlled, family-oriented device that works in a similar way to the Xbox’s Kinect. It is not something I had ever heard of, but it is kind of cool to see an unknown system land in the top three. In case anyone was wondering, the Nintendo Switch 2 took the top spot for Black Friday sales (per individual SKUs).

EDIT: For clarity, the above information referred to individual SKUs rather than per brand. However, in another post, Mat Piscatella of Circana clarified that PlayStation 5 accounted for 47% of total sales over Black Friday, with Nintendo Switch 2 hitting 24%, and Nex Playground hitting 14%. The remaining 15%, we assume, went to Xbox Series X|S, but it's hardly a strong showing.

In the US, PlayStation 5 accounted for 47% of total Black Friday week hardware unit sales, leading the market.Nintendo Switch 2 ranked 2nd (24%), with the NEX Playground 3rd (14%).Source: Circana Retail Tracking Service
— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-07T17:41:05.658Z

In the UK, the situation wasn't much better for Xbox, with Microsoft's console out in third place. PS5 hit 62%, with Switch 2 at 23%, and Xbox a distant last in 10%. The Nex Playground isn't available in the UK as of writing.

Microsoft did zero sales for the Xbox Series X|S console over Black Friday, although some retailers did throw in gift cards and things like that in an attempt to shift some stock.

It paints an increasingly bleak picture for Microsoft's hardware aspirations, who have been forced to repeatedly insist that there will be another Xbox console, despite anaemic stock levels and near total abandonment of its current gen systems.

A missed chance for Xbox?

Xbox Kinect (Image credit: Future)

It is no secret that Microsoft, and therefore Xbox, often seems to miss out. From the closure of Windows Phone, Skype, Kinect, Cortana, and many others, the list is long. Looking at just those examples, it is easy to see how some, or even all of them, could be relevant today given current market conditions. Microsoft has diverted all attention away from its own hardware by pointing gamers towards other platforms to buy its games, while jacking up the price of Xbox Game Pass at the same time.

Another oversight could be the decision to kill Kinect. It was a device that was technically impressive and could have been reworked for a younger audience. It would have required foresight from Microsoft, but hindsight is 20/20, and it feels like yet another missed opportunity to add to the list.

Despite not making the US top sales in consoles for Black Friday, however, Microsoft is still putting stock in its hardware, and a recent report points to them seeking to expand Xbox manufacturing by 4.8 million devices per year, away from China. The figure includes all types of Xbox hardware, including consoles, potentially to prepare for the arrival of GTA 6 late 2026.

With rising prices across the board driven by AI, next-generation hardware is expected to be more expensive than ever, and Xbox's own Sarah Bond confirms this.

Storage and RAM costs continue to climb, and the closure of Crucial, one of the biggest consumer RAM and Storage manufacturers, only adds to the pressure.

It creates a turbulent moment for a hobby that once felt affordable, but is now becoming increasingly expensive thanks to tariffs and the growing demand for AI-focused components.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has game sharing and a camera — sound familiar?

Jennifer Young — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 16:01:02 +0000

The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct today gave us more information on the next handheld to shake up the market. Though two particular parts of the announcement that were met with delight may be familiar to Xbox fans, especially those still reeling from the doomed announcement of the Xbox One.

It's fun and frivolous when Nintendo offer game sharing (Image credit: Jennifer Young - Windows Central)

Yes the Nintendo Switch 2 boasts game sharing, the ability to share your games with friends and family who don't even own the game. As long as you own it, GameShare will work with up to four consoles at a time including the original Switch and Switch Lite.

It's incredibly consumer friendly and almost makes up for the eyewatering price of the handheld which will be $449 and game prices of $80, setting the tone for future game price hikes. Almost.

Back in 2013, when the Xbox One was revealed, Microsoft had planned to include a feature called 'Family Sharing', which would have allowed players to share their library with up to 10 people designated as family members.

This was meant to improve access to games without the need for physically sharing discs but unfortunately was paired with the announcement of the controversial 'always-online' DRM policy. The backlash included accusations of the scheme being a direct attack on the used game market.

Yet another example of Microsoft being ahead of their time and trying to push the industry in a direction it wasn't ready for, but considering the reaction to Nintendo's announcement today, the audience is now willing and ready. So come on Xbox, enough messing about and give us the Friends and Family pass!

Nintendo Switch 2:- Launches June 5- $449 / $499 with Mario Kart- Pre-Orders on April 9- Digital Games are now $80 pic.twitter.com/ZiDIkDuGTVApril 2, 2025

That's not all, there'll be an optional in Switch 2 camera for voice chat. Perhaps the Kinect is making a comeback but not in the form we expected. A reincarnation if you will.

Again as much as we loved the Kinect, it being bundled with the console and forced on an unwilling audience didn't go down well and despite later releasing a Kinect-less bundle, the damage to public perception of the Xbox One was done.

Over to you. Do you think that the Xbox One with it's original plans for Family Sharing and the bundled Kinect would have gone down better with todays gaming audience? What did you think of the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal?

Xbox's new gaming Copilot AI would have been better with Kinect — there, I said it

richard.devine@futurenet.com (Richard Devine) — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 17:11:46 +0000

AI is still a contentious topic, but it's here to stay. I use it most days, and not just because Microsoft is doing its best to stuff it inside every product it makes.

It has its uses, and since the dawn of ChatGPT, then Bing Chat which became Copilot, I've found ways to integrate the tech into my life that I enjoy using.

On paper, the idea of an Xbox Copilot (or Copilot for Gaming as its formal name goes), such as the one Microsoft has recently announced, sounds pretty great. Apart from the bit where you have to use your phone to interact with it. I don't want to have to pick up my phone while I'm gaming.

Remember Kinect? Yet another piece of Microsoft hardware that was years ahead of its time and subsequently sent to the graveyard? Tell me I'm wrong when I say that Kinect + Xbox Copilot would be the way to use it?

Voice interaction on the same device versus picking up your phone

Instead of sending most of these to landfill, what if they still existed? (Image credit: Windows Central)

The Kinect launched at the wrong time. Or rather, the second generation of it, did. The Xbox 360 version was this quirky add-on that introduced a new way to play games. When the Xbox One debuted, it was your voice-controlled partner in crime.

I enjoyed barking commands at my Xbox One and having it obey, all thanks to the Kinect. It started as a novelty way to turn the console on and off, but became much more than that.

When I had my first child, using the Kinect to navigate the TV/media options with a baby in my arms was a new parent's dream. Back when I had my Cable TV box hooked up to the Xbox, and OneGuide was a thing. In the good old days.

Now fast-forward to a world where AI is becoming a serious tool and Microsoft is determined to make us use it on everything. I can't be the only person who thinks a native Copilot on the Xbox console, making use of a Kinect would have just been better?

Sure, you can use voice with your phone, but that's another device, in a situation where you're already using a console, a TV, and a controller. Unless you're Otto Octavius, you're going to need to take a hand off your game to use your Copilot.

My colleague, Samuel Tolbert, summed it up when writing about the launch of the Xbox Copilot.

"No matter if I'm by myself or chatting with friends, I don't want to yell at a screen (especially a second, smaller one) to get additional functionality or enjoyment out of what I'm playing."

It's too late for Kinect now, but it doesn't stop it making sense

If Microsoft puts AI on the Xbox, it needs to have a seamless voice interface like we could have had if Kinect were still alive. (Image credit: Windows Central)

At some point, you would have to assume Microsoft will bring some form of Copilot onto the actual Xbox console. If we're getting AI in Notepad on Windows 11, it feels like a given.

The trouble is that the ready-made hardware we once had is now dead. Even if you have a Kinect, you can't plug it into the new generation consoles.

I would be inclined to interact with Copilot on the console, but only with voice. When I'm playing a game, I don't want to have to take my attention away from that. There's no chance I'm alone on that.

If you have to stop playing to use an AI chatbot, it's dead in the water. If this happens in the future, it simply has to have a voice element. That of course means you need a microphone attached to the console, but without Kinect to rely on, it's all we can hope for.

It also needs to be seamlessly usable with voice, for the same reason. You can't be expected to pause what you're doing just to play with Microsoft's latest AI toy. Launch it, talk to it, make it fade away, all without interrupting what you're actually doing.

Will this happen? Who knows. But as with so many other things Microsoft has made, then killed, it's a big old case of "what if?"

Long live the Xbox Kinect — how Microsoft's 'failed' tech lives on in the strangest of places

Jennifer Young — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 15:33:23 +0000

In true Microsoft form, the Xbox Kinect was ahead of its time. Now, with most households having a smart speaker as standard, and doorbell security cameras being commonplace, it is harder than ever to believe the Kinect was discontinued.

Luckily, 15 years after its launch, the Kinect refuses to die, and lives on in many spaces for unusual reasons far from its gaming roots. From supermarket surveillance to ghostbusting, the Kinect and its groundbreaking motion and sound capture technology is still widely used outside our humble living rooms.

Kinect at Walmart but not as we know it

A few months ago, I happened across a Reddit post showing the Kinect being used at Walmart as a security camera.

When did Xbox start providing Kinects to Walmart for security? from r/xbox

Initially I thought this was a hoax but after some digging found that apparently the Kinect has been used as security surveillance at least in Walmart since 2013, and according to a friend of mine even spotted at a local airport.

Kinect still being used in hospitals

(Image credit: Sunnybrook Hospital/Youtube)

Originally designed as a gaming system that lets players control games using gestures and voice, the Kinect is still proving invaluable in the operating room.

By using the Kinect to look at and adjust images like CAT scans during procedures, surgeons needn't break sterility by moving from the operating table to a mouse and computer.

By waving forward or backward, surgeons can scroll through CAT scan slices to examine the anatomy in detail, all while remaining focused on the procedure.

Medical papers have been published with further investigations on potential used for the Xbox Kinect, such as how accurately the Kinect V2 sensor can analyze human walking patterns (gait).

Additionally the Kinect V2 sensor is deemed a more cost-effective method for motion tracking in various applications such as clinical settings and rehabilitation.

Life after death as the Kinect is used for ghosthunting

Bizarrely, the Kinect has been adapted by ghost hunters into what's known as a Structures Light Sensor (SLS) camera.

The Kinect maps out environments in three dimensions, using this to detect human-like shapes and displaying them as stick figures on a screen. Ghost hunters use this to then identify potential spirit presences that aren't visible to the naked eye, interpreting unexplained stick figures as evidence of paranormal activity.

Scientist Jon Wood has written a fascinating piece on ghosthunting equipment, including the Kinect, and shared this image of it in practice. Though he points out that the Kinect is picking up shapes in poor environmental conditions, essential 'filling in the gaps'.

Who you gonna call? Xbox! (Image credit: jonwoodscience.com)

Wood describes this DIY Kinect setup, which includes a rig, a laptop, and a screen. All assembled affordably compared to expensive pre-made kits.

The Xbox Kinect was embraced by ghost hunters particularly after its appearance in Paranormal Activity 4, popularizing its use despite its unreliable output, even assigning stick men to vacuum cleaners.

Kinect for porn?

Back in 2010, Kotaku reported on a developer proudly announced the first ever Kinect sex game,. A move that was swiftly shot down by Microsoft lawyers.

The game looked even creepier than it sounds, and probably would never have taken off anyway. Kyle Machulis, founder of an open source library for controlling sex toys by Bluetooth and USB, and known for reverse engineering the Kinect, told The Guardian that the Kinect performed “more of a futurist marketing role than anything of actual consumer use.”

Catching shoplifters, not dodgy dance moves

This kid looks exactly how I felt unwrapping my Xbox 360 (Image credit: Official Microsoft Blog)

I've incredibly fond memories of the Xbox Kinect. I had one set up for my first ever house party and remember many friends who had no prior interest in gaming at all busting some questionable dance moves on Dance Central.

Another household favorite was Disneyland Adventures, an open-world theme park game. I’d watch my son navigate it with ease, laughing that it was the closest we’d ever get to Disneyland.

The main use, though, was pure convenience. Being able to mutter “Xbox on” and navigate the dashboard with Kinect was simply brilliant. While you can replicate some functions with smart speakers like Alexa, I’ve never found them to be as “smart” as Kinect was.

Maybe it’s my thick local accent, but I often find myself repeating commands to get Alexa to work. Kinect? It just worked.

Since Kinect was shelved in 2017, it has probably still played a significant role in advancing motion-sensing and voice recognition technologies. It’s a shame Microsoft can’t put its name to those advancements.

It’s honestly heartbreaking that the combination of Kinect and Cortana (well, CoPilot nowadays) isn’t Xbox’s answer to the Amazon Echo.

Today, we even have gesture control in smartphones and tablets, along with more precise tracking technology in VR and AR devices.

You could even compare Windows Hello and its facial recognition to the Kinect of old, or at least that’s what I tell myself. My laptop has a little Kinect inside of it!

The Xbox Kinect lives on

(Image credit: Future)

The Xbox Kinect may no longer be a household name, but it lives on in other forms.

Whether it's catching shoplifters at Walmart, assisting surgeons, or appearing in ghost-hunting loadouts, it has certainly found it's home in many other places.

I'd love to see it return to gaming, especially as someone who finds VR nauseating but enjoys the concept of movement-related gaming. Casting lightning spells in Avowed by throwing hands? That I can get down with.

The Kinect may never have reached its full potential as a gaming device, but it has cemented its place in history, and I'm happy it lives on, even in somewhat unconventional forms.

Long live the Xbox Kinect!

Microsoft can't stop killing Kinect products. Another one is set to bite the dust.

kevinokemwa@outlook.com (Kevin Okemwa) — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 12:54:49 +0000

What you need to know

Microsoft is discontinuing its Azure Kinect Developer Kit.
The company has indicated that the product will be available until October while stocks last.
The move will not impact the product's user experience, and Azure Kinect Developer Kit SDK will remain available for download.
Microsoft recommends offerings from its partners, like Orbbec, as substitutions for the entry that will provide long-term solutions and sophisticated customization options.

Remember Kinect, Microsoft's audio-visual peripheral that made its debut back in 2011? The accessory flew off the shelves during its initial launch on Xbox 360, but the success was short-lived, as the accessory struggled to gain traction among consumers, ultimately forcing Microsoft to pull the plug on it later in 2017.

However, we saw the rebirth of the ill-fated Kinect in 2019 as the Azure Kinect Developer Kit. While the entry received a ton of praise in regard to its depth, audio technologies, and flexibility across industries, Microsoft has decided to discontinue the Azure Kinect Developer Kit, ending yet another Kinect device.

Microsoft is partnering up with outside companies to ensure that consumers have access to similar entries in the market moving forward.

Likewise, if you're interested in getting yourself an Azure Kinect Developer Kit, they'll be available for purchase till the end of October 2023. However, this is valid while stocks last.

It is also worth noting that the entries will now ship with the standard limited hardware warranty. The company recommends offerings from its partners, such as Orbbec, as options for users looking for long-term solutions and sophisticated customization options. The newly announced Orbbec Bolt uses the same depth camera as the Azure Kinect Developer Kit and there is an API bridge to migrate apps to work with the Bolt.

Microsoft’s Swati Mehta also highlighted in a blog post that discontinuing the product will not impact its user experience and that the Azure Kinect Developer Kit SDK will remain available for download.

Microsoft could be shifting focus to augmented reality

The Azure Kinect Developer Kit is a well-designed product, but in a similar fashion to the Kinet, it never got traction. Now, Microsoft might be looking to invest its resources elsewhere, clearing ground for its partners in the field. "We have made the decision to end production of Azure Kinect Developer Kit, but this is far from the end of this technology as it will continue to be available through our partner ecosystem," said Microsoft.

Rumors hitting the headlines indicate that Microsoft could possibly be working on a new entry for its mixed reality HoloLens line, HoloLens 3. Though things have been quiet on this end, a new patent provided a glimpse of what could be the next big thing. Importantly, patents don't ensure products will ever launch.

Apple and Meta have made strides in the metaverse world. However, Apple's HoloLens-like 'Vision Pro' headset might not meet expectations. Reports indicate that Apple has already scaled down the production of units from one million shipments in early 2024 to approximately 150,000 units. Apple cited the sophistication and complexity of the manufacturing process as the main cause.

With this in mind, this could be the perfect time for Microsoft to make a comeback and even the scale. But we'll have to wait and see how things pan out.

Xbox Kinect was good. There I said it.

Jez Corden — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 18:00:03 +0000

I've been on a weight-loss kick in the past year (losing 100 pounds using Microsoft Excel!), and exercise is a natural component of such an effort. Recently, my girlfriend said to me, "We should play Xbox Fitness," activating a core memory.

Sadly, I had to inform her that Xbox Fitness is in fact dead. For those who don't remember, Xbox Fitness was a unique app that gamified fitness workouts using Microsoft's ill-fated Kinect peripheral. Microsoft's positioning of Kinect in 2013 ultimately led to its death, but I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness when I recalled the missed potential.

For those who are unaware, Kinect is a motion-tracking camera that uses AI to analyze movements, detect voice commands, and much more. There was a point in history where Kinect was the fastest-selling video game accessory of all time, back in the Xbox 360 era. And that version was rather horrible, with inaccurate tracking and poor microphones. The 2013 Xbox One "V2" Kinect was far more powerful, but the way Microsoft presented it to gamers ensured its untimely death and eventual relegation to business-only use cases. You can still buy and use Kinect on Xbox One consoles, but you probably shouldn't. Yet still, I feel like there's still something of a missed opportunity here.

Here's a homage to Kinect, an accessory that could've survived in another timeline, as a supplementary experience, rather than a forced one.

They shouldn't have forced it ...

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

The biggest issue with Kinect V2 is that it was essentially forced upon the community. Microsoft's 2013 Xbox One strategy was something of a disaster for a variety of reasons. The Xbox One was noticeably less powerful than the competing PlayStation 4, while also being $100 more expensive. The blame for that price tag was the forced bundling of Kinect.

Kinect became a focus of various genuine, and overblown concerns. People who played up fears of big tech spying on you through the Kinect's cameras and microphones would later be the proud owners of Amazon Echo speakers and Ring cameras. Microsoft could've circumnavigated these complaints if it only hadn't forced Kinect upon users, inflating the price of the Xbox One in the process.

Microsoft's Kinect peripheral was vastly ahead of the curve, and in some ways, still is. Even today, TVs try to emulate some of Kinect's features, such as TV voice controls and even embedded cameras. None are as good as Kinect was, given its dedicated hardware, and voice recognition expertise. HDMI-CEC combined with the Amazon Echo has only just recently started to bring some of Kinect's IR-blaster features for external device control, something Kinect was doing all the way back in 2013. There was something so cool about getting home from work and saying, "Xbox On," and seeing my entire entertainment center light up.

... but it was actually really fun to use

Source: Microsoft (Image credit: Source: Microsoft)

Indeed, Kinect was just fun to use. Even before we get to the games, Kinect integrated seamlessly with most IR-based devices allowing it to act as a remote controller for a large range of entertainment equipment. Voice control your TV's volume, or even channel surf with the integrated Xbox OneGuide TV listings database. Adjust your sound system, without having to reach for (and find) that pesky remote.

Beyond smart home features, Kinect actually worked pretty damned well for games. Games like Fruit Ninja were undeniably fun to play, and represented some fairly intense exercise opportunities if you're as out of shape as I am. Kinect's IR sensors were even powerful enough to determine your heart rate via the camera alone, giving you accurate calorie-burning statistics in much the same way smartwatches do today.

Source: HE SAWBlue Estate by HE SAW was probably the most "mature" Kinect experience out there. (Image credit: Source: HE SAW)

Outside of fun party games and novelty experiences, Kinect actually had some decent applications in core games. Yelling "FUS RO DAH!" at the TV while playing Skyrim to activate abilities was an interesting take. Being able to command your teammates in Dragon Age: Inquisition was also pretty clever, since it essentially gave you an extra pair of hands for micromanaging the game's tactical combat. The violent on-rails shooter Blue Estate was a nostalgic arcade-style game that let you use Kinect to shoot finger bullets, and it was a surprisingly great experience.

Kinect was quite honestly fun and novel to use occasionally, both for controlling your smart home and for playing casual games. Alas, 'twas not meant to be.

RIP, Kinect

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

It's hard not to wonder what could've become of Kinect in a gaming context. The technology has found its way into HoloLens (now also reportedly dead), alongside Windows Mixed Reality VR headsets (also probably dead). Ghost hunters are even using Kinect to track spooky apparitions (apparently). More seriously though, with companies like Steam, Facebook, and Sony exploring VR and motion-controlled games, it feels like there's probably a timeline where Kinect not only survives but thrives on Xbox, as an optional and supplementary experience.

The options for fitness games on Xbox now are woeful, restricted to Just Dance, and its limited smartphone gyroscope tracking. For casual experiences, especially for smaller kids, Kinect could've been a great thing. Perhaps V3 would've been accurate and powerful enough to give rise to a renaissance of light gun games, leading to Xbox accessories like the Super Nintendo Super Scope. Perhaps Kinect could've powered a VR play for Xbox, leading to ports of popular virtual reality titles like Half-Life: Alyx.

It's fun to wonder about possibilities in hindsight, but for now, we can only reminisce: Kinect was pretty good.

Is Xbox Kinect still worth buying?

jez@windowscentral.com (Jez Corden) — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 16:42:13 +0000

Is Xbox One Kinect still worth buying in 2022?

Best answer: There is a small yet passionate Kinect homebrew scene, but if you're a consumer, the answer is simply no. No way, no how. Kinect is a dead accessory, with canceled support by Microsoft. A second-hand unit will still function for the small library of available games on an original Xbox One console and provide modest voice command support. However, you're far better off just grabbing an Amazon Echo for the latter feature.

What happened to Kinect?

(Image credit: Windows Central)

Microsoft's misunderstood audio-visual peripheral was, at one point, the fastest-selling consumer electronics device of all time, believe it or not, with over 10 million units sold during the first six months after its release. Of course, that was the Xbox 360 version, which was vastly inferior to the "V2" version available on the Xbox One and Windows PCs.

Despite the superior power of Kinect V2, a combination of poor messaging, bad positioning, and lackluster software support led Kinect V2 as an Xbox accessory down the path of obscurity, right into being killed off completely. The technology Kinect spawned lives on as part of HoloLens and Microsoft's partnered Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and Kinect has been used in a wide array of bespoke projects in various other industries. Where Kinect didn't shine, however, is with the Xbox One. That's not to say it was useless. It simply wasn't allowed to realize its full potential.

To even use a Kinect (second hand or otherwise), you need a pricey adapter for modern Xbox consoles that can be hard to find. However, there are alternative third-party adapters like this one that do seem to do the job. There are so many hurdles to overcome to get your hands on a Kinect that I'd argue it's not worth the effort.

Kinect games?

There weren't many games made for the newest Kinect. (Image credit: Fruit Ninja 2)

Microsoft blundered when it launched the Kinect V2, bundling it with the Xbox One and driving up the total price. To bring that price tag back down, the Kinect was sacrificed. The stigma it generated probably led to decreased interest, and decreased usage led to developer abandonment.

There's no reason to expect any new Kinect games to hit the platform any time soon, (especially as it's not supported on Series X|S) and the available ones aren't exactly show-stopping "must play" games. They can provide some fleeting entertainment, but I still don't think that makes recommending a Kinect worthwhile.

Why an Amazon Echo is better

An Amazon Echo is a much better shout for voice features on Xbox. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Probably the best reason to get a Kinect right now is for the voice commands, allowing you to navigate the dashboard, control media, and even to use your TV with a proper setup. You can issue commands like "Xbox, play Battlefield 1," or "Xbox, turn up the volume," and you can turn up the functionality to 11 by enabling Cortana (while sacrificing some usability in the process).

Activating Cortana or Amazon Alexa integration will allow you to issue more complex commands like "What's the weather like?" and "What is my friend Dave doing?" You can even do things like set and receive reminders and enjoy the vast majority of Cortana features that are available on Windows 10. That said, she is sadly unresponsive compared to the stock Xbox voice commands that are enabled by default.

Ultimately, Kinect will enhance your Xbox media viewing experience by giving you access to voice commands, providing you set up the microphones correctly. It doesn't always work, of course, and it can be a little frustrating if it fails multiple times, but when it's gone, I will miss it.

The thing is, the cheaper, more versatile, and crucially, supported Amazon Echo can do all of the same stuff. Amazon Echo devices are cheap, and have far, far more voice features than Kinect. Cortana speakers like the Harman Kardon Invoke can also achieve the same effect, but Microsoft's support of Cortana-based hardware hasn't exactly been reassuring.

What about Kinect's IR blaster?

The Xbox One S and Xbox One X come with an IR Blaster as standard, meaning that they can send signals to your TV to control volume and power, but if you're using the original Xbox One, you could grab a Kinect to get that functionality. However, it's a pretty costly option. You can add IR blaster functionality to your Xbox One with an IR dongle as cheap as $7.

Kinect homebrew scene

The only real use for Kinect these days is for those with a tinkerer mindset. There are people using Kinect cameras to make all sorts of fun gadgets, if you're so-minded. Most of these projects aren't necessarily things the vast majority of people would be interested in, most likely. If you were here for the regular consumer-grade Kinect experience, there's simply very little on offer these days.

Kinect has found its way into various applications, from facial recognition for dynamic ads in some malls and superstores to occasional experimental medical uses. In general, though, Kinect is no longer supported, with its tech stripped out for the similarly dying HoloLens headset.

Get yourself an Amazon Echo instead

At this point, it simply does not make a whole lot of sense to buy a Kinect. You'll be much better off with an Amazon Echo. And it'll work with the Xbox Series X|S consoles as well.

Kinect is officially dead. We'll miss it, but it has no place anymore.

The Xbox One just got a new Kinect game, because reasons

sean.endicott@futurenet.com (Sean Endicott) — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 12:05:38 +0000

What you need to know

Just Dance 2022 is now available for Xbox consoles, PlayStation 4 and 5, and the Nintendo Switch.
The game supports the Kinect on Xbox One consoles to track your movements.
The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S do not support the Kinect.

Just Dance 2022 recently launched on consoles, including the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. The game is also available on the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PlayStation 5, though the experience is different on modern consoles compared to their older counterparts. In what's a bit of a surprise in 2021, Just Dance 2022 supports the Kinect.

Before you dig through your drawers for a dongle to set up your Kinect, note that the accessory does not work with the Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S. Even if you have a Kinect USB adapter, it will not allow the camera to work with Microsoft's newer consoles.

If you play the game on the Xbox One, you can use the Kinect to dance along with your on-screen avatar. People with newer consoles will have to use the Just Dance Controller app, which is available on iOS and Android.

A listing on JB HI-FI outlines the different ways players can dance along with Just Dance 2022:

No additional accessories are required to join the fun! Just use your smartphone with the Just Dance Controller app!

Just Dance 2022 is compatible with:

The Joy-Con controllers on Switch
The PlayStation Camera on PS4
The Kinect sensor on Xbox One

Just Dance 2022 is not compatible with:

The HD camera on PS5
Any camera on Xbox Series X

Just Dance 2022 has 40 new tracks. If you have Just Dance Unlimited, you'll have access to over 700 tracks throughout the duration of your subscription.

Just Dance 2022

Just Dance 2022 lets you dance to popular music, including 40 new tracks for this year's edition. If you still have an Xbox One, the game works with the Kinect. You can also play it with the Just Dance Controller app.

Which dead Microsoft product would you like to see brought back for Halloween?

sean.endicott@futurenet.com (Sean Endicott) — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 13:00:02 +0000

It's the spookiest time of the year, Halloween. In honor of the holiday, we have a horrific poll this weekend. We'd like to know which Microsoft product or service you'd like to see brought back from the dead. From MSN Messenger to the Windows 10 Start menu, Microsoft has a kill count higher than Michael Myers. In fact, it was difficult to keep the list of options short enough to make a functional poll. So: If you could pick just one item to have Microsoft resurrect, which would it be?

We expect Windows Phone to take the lion's share of the votes, but there are some other beloved Microsoft services that have been buried over the years. Many miss Windows Media Center being the center of the living room. There are still Zune enthusiasts, including one fan who made a digital coffee book dedicated to the history of the music player. Others mourned the end of Minecraft Earth.

If your favorite dead Microsoft product or service didn't make the list, please share it in the comments below. If you want to take a trip down memory lane, you can check out Killed by Microsoft for a complete list of everything the company has axed over the years.

Some Microsoft services are already honoring the spirit of Halloween. The Kinect is being used by ghost hunters looking to search out the undead. Some claim that the camera can track "skeletal figures that aren't there." We can't verify that claim, but we can confirm that it worked well with Sonic Free Riders, one of the favorite Kinect games of our news editor Robert Carnevale.

Random: Microsoft's Kinect finds new life tracking the undead, used by ghost hunters

Jez Corden — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 10:58:57 +0000

It's spooky season, also known as Halloween in some circles. Whether you're catching Midnight Mass on Netflix or indulging in the best horror games on Xbox, there's something for everybody in this most petrifying period. There's no better time of year to go ghost hunting either, and that's exactly what H3 Productions recently did over on YouTube.

Teaming up with Linda the Ghost Hunter, H3 explored one of the most "haunted" places in America, built atop an ancient burial ground. Why is this relevant to Microsoft, you may be wondering, intrepid Windows Central reader? Well, it's because Linda uses a custom Microsoft Kinect rig to track down spooky apparitions.

Linda explains that the Xbox Kinect has the ability to track "skeletal figures that aren't there," i.e., ghosts or demons that we can't see with the naked eye. Of course, it could simply be one of Kinect's notorious algorithm glitches, but hey, you can check the footage out for yourself above. At 19:08, the team stumble upon not one, but two ghostly Kinect figures in the dark, undiscernible with the naked eye.

It's also interesting to note that Linda uses an Xbox 360 Kinect. Perhaps the ghost tracking systems were patched out of the Kinect 2 or even the modern Azure Kinect, making them unsuitable for spiritual investigations. I suspect Microsoft would have little to say about such things if I reached out to PR to inquire if they'd tested Kinect's paranormal capabilities, so it may simply remain a mystery (or not.)

Kinect has found a range of uses since its death as a gaming peripheral. The tech is, of course, embedded in HoloLens, and Azure Kinect is being used in everything from advertising systems to medical devices. I suspect Kinect inventor Alex Kipman and his team may have never envisaged Kinect's paranormal applications, but hey, it just goes to show how powerful the tech is, right?

Have you ever had a haunted Kinect experience? Tell us your ghost stories in the comments. The truth is out there, friends.

Thanks to @avianoir for the tip!

Xbox's Kinect finds new life as eyes for a swarm of grocery robots

Jez Corden — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 09:52:24 +0000

The terminators of the robopocalypse could have eyes powered by Xbox Kinect, if this grocery packaging factory is anything to go off at least.

Microsoft's Kinect peripheral is a powerful 3D camera that can determine depth with startling accuracy. While it was at one point the fastest-selling gaming accessory of all time, it never quite caught on as an essential piece of gaming kit, eventually getting sidelined completely. However, Microsoft still manufactures them for use in various other industries, with the tech appearing in Microsoft's HoloLens headset, as well as the updated Azure Kinect camera array.

How are businesses using it? Well, take a look at the video below for an example.

At approximately 2:20, you can see a classic Xbox One Kinect rigged up to a robotic arm, used to determine how best to package groceries in this wild futuristic packaging facility in South London. The plant uses a swarm of thousands of cube-shaped bots navigating around a grid, picking up groceries like a crane claw machine you'd see in an old-school amusement park. The goods are then whisked away to a more sophisticated packaging arm, which can manipulate items in a more "human-like" way, using Kinect as the robot's "eyes."

The team at Ocado note that goods packaging is designed for humans, not robots, which is why they require an assembly like the above to work around the odd shapes and sizes different packaged food items have. Kinect determines which items should be packaged together, confirming that the orders are correct while ensuring that heavy, hard items aren't packaged with light, soft items, for example.

The video is another example of Kinect finding new life in its post-gaming days. While I personally feel like Kinect was quite awesome for gaming, it stands true that the vast majority of the time I'd prefer to just chill on the couch and relax than jump around a 3D camera. Still, it's awesome to see the tech repurposed, and ultimately not wasted.

Man uses Kinect and Windows to make a basketball hoop you can't miss

sendicott47@outlook.com (Sean Endicott) — Tue, 12 May 2020 16:37:26 +0000

What you need to know

YouTuber and engineer Shane Wighton built a basketball hoop that automatically adjusts to help shots go in.
The system uses Windows and a Kinect camera, among other components.
The system uses linear algebra to figure out how to maneuver the backboard.

You might not have a silky smooth jumper like Steph Curry, but there's hope for you and anyone else who wants to improve their shooting percentage. YouTuber and engineer Shane Wighton developed a basketball hoop that automatically adjusts to make shots go in. It uses a camera to detect the speed a trajectory of a ball and adjust the backboard to bounce the basketball through the hoop.

Wighton explained how the hoop works in a video on his "Stuff Made Here" channel. The system requires a large amount of calculations in a short amount of time. A shot on the hoop only takes about 600ms to reach the basket, so the system has to figure out how to move the backboard to make the shot go in. Wighton wrote the linear Algebra for the system to help it calculate its maneuvers. While it isn't perfect, it seems to work very well based on the video. Wighton does say that occasionally Windows is laggy and makes the system react too slow. So, you actually can miss the hoop, but it still drastically improves shot percentage.

The system can detect people's faces, movement, and the ball using sensors. Above the system is a Kinect camera. Previously known for working with the Xbox, the Kinect can now be used as a sensor camera. You can see the Kinect camera mounted above the hoop and Wighton explains its role within the video.

Check out this Kinect basketball hoop that never misses a shot

Asher Madan — Tue, 12 May 2020 00:51:45 +0000

Stuff Made Here is a popular YouTube channel that comes up with amazing contraptions. However, the latest entry has to be the best yet. Have you ever wanted a basketball hoop that never misses a shot? Well, you got it. Recently, the channel debuted one that uses Microsoft Kinect to predict the ball's trajectory and adjust the back panel accordingly. You can watch the amazing video below.

It's always interesting to me to see how Kinect is used outside of the gaming space. I've seen it at airports, clothing stores, museums, and other locations. I can't wait to see what developers do with the peripheral next.

High market interest brings the Azure Kinect DK to Japan, Germany, and the UK

sean.endicott@futurenet.com (Sean Endicott) — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 12:02:49 +0000

What you need to know

The Azure Kinect developer kit is now available in Japan, Germany, and the UK.
The system uses depth sensors, spatial microphones, and the cloud to model environments.
The Azure Kinect developer kit is available for $399.

Microsoft's Azure Kinect Developer Kit (Azure Kinect DK) is now available in Japan, Germany, and the UK. The Azure Kinect DK combines depth sensors and spatial microphones to model environments. It can work alongside Microsoft's Azure to add cognitive services and manage connected PCs. Microsoft shared the news of the expanded availability on Twitter.

The Azure Kinect DK is used in health and life science environments, retail outlets, manufacturing, and robotics. As an example, Ocuvera uses the kit to monitor patients. The Azure Kinect DK's depth-sensing cameras can determine if a patient is rolling over in their bed or trying to stand up. If the system recognizes that a patient is trying to get out of bed, it can help medical staff get to the room before a patient potentially falls out of bed.

The Azure Kinect DK has a 12MP RGB camera and a 1MP depth camera. It also has a 360-degree microphone array for spatial audio. As the name suggests, the Azure Kinect DK is built off Microsoft's Kinect technology from the Xbox.

The kit was already available in the U.S. and China and is now available in Japan, Germany, and the UK. You can read more about the Azure Kinect DK on Microsoft's webiste.

Reborn for Azure

Azure Kinect DK

A kit for audio and visual modeling

Azure Kinect DK is a developer kit and PC peripheral that contains a 1MP depth camera, a 360˚ microphone array, a 12MP RGB camera, and orientation sensors for building advanced computer vision and speech models.

Azure Kinect developer kit hits general availability, preorders begin shipping

dan.lancaster@mobilenations.com (Dan Thorp-Lancaster) — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 19:00:02 +0000

What you need to know

Microsoft's Azure Kinect developer kit is now generally available.
The kit is built upon the remains of the Xbox's Kinect sensor, but built and improved specifically for businesses.
The Azure Kinect DK is available for $400 at Microsoft for developers.

Ahead of the start of the Microsoft Inspire conference's official kickoff next week, Microsoft has announced that its Azure Kinect developer kit (DK) is now generally available. The kit initially went up for preorder in February for $400, but it's now ready for all developers to check out.

While Kinect ended up being a consumer failure in the gaming space, Microsoft has continued to improve upon the technology for business applications. Azure Kinect was born out of those efforts, using computer vision technology to support new applications by Microsoft's business partners.

The Azure Kinect DK unit includes a 12MP RGB camera paired with a 1MP depth camera. Combined with a 360-degree microphone array and an orientation sensor, the unit can be used for "building advanced computer vision and speech models." And just like the Xbox Kinect before it, Azure Kinect can be used for "sophisticated body tracking." of multiple people.

Microsoft says it's already seeing some interesting uses of Azure Kinect in the business space. Ocuvera, for example, is using the camera in hospital rooms to monitor patients. The depth sensor can be used to see if someone is just rolling over in their bed or trying to stand up, which can help nurses get to a room before patients potentially fall out of bed.

The Azure Kinect DK is now generally available in the U.S. and China, and it will begin shipping to those who preordered now. Microsoft Inspire is set to begin on July 14, with the opening keynotes scheduled for July 15. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Brad Smith will take the stage on July 17.

Reborn for Azure

Azure Kinect DK

Microsoft's new Azure sensor gets its developer kit.

Azure Kinect DK is a developer kit and PC peripheral that contains a best-in-class 1MP depth camera, 360˚ microphone array, 12MP RGB camera, and orientation sensor for building advanced computer vision and speech models.

Our favorite computer speakers for less $100

Team Windows Central wholeheartedly recommends each of these computer speaker setups, because they all bring the NOISE and will not wound your wallet.

Bose Companion 2 Series III speakers ($99 at Dell)

If you want great sound quality and value, then you want Bose. You too can have room-filling, immersive sound, so Bose says in every advertisement.

Logitech Z313 speaker system with subwoofer ($49 at Dell)

The Z313 comes with a powered subwoofer and two satellite speakers to deliver 25 watts of total power. That's enough to fill your room and then some.

GOgroove BassPULSE ($50 at Dell)

These are clearly the coolest-looking speakers recommended here, but they're not all flash and guile – these speakers can produce amazing highs and lows, for just $50.

Microsoft Kinect returns for Azure, developer kit preorders live

matt@windowscentral.com (Matt Brown) — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 19:19:31 +0000

Microsoft's ill-fated Kinect failed to overcome the challenges of the gaming space, despite its impressive motion tracking capabilities. And while Kinect production halted in late 2017, Microsoft is bringing its technology forward for a second run in the business world.

At Microsoft's 2019 Mobile World Congress (MWC) keynote in Barcelona, the firm unveiled a new "Azure Kinect" sensor alongside HoloLens 2, pushing its computer vision technology outside the living room.

The Azure Kinect developer kit packs a 12MP RGB camera alongside a spatial 7-microphone array and orientation sensor. It pairs with a 1MP depth camera with both wide and narrow views individually, with multiple devices capable of providing an improved "panoramic understanding" of environments. And with USB-C connectivity, the new developer kit extends compatibility across Windows 10 and Ubuntu systems.

Early adopters at DataMesh, AVA retail, and Ocuvera all presented initial impressions of the device, praising its depth and audio technologies, and flexibility across industries.

The Azure Kinect development kit has now hit the Microsoft Store and is available for preorder. Priced at $399, preorders are slated to ship on June 27, 2019.

Reborn for Azure

Azure Kinect DK

Microsoft's new Azure sensor gets its developer kit.

Amazon Echo Dot is a fantastic $50 Kinect replacement for Xbox One

Matt Brown — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 12:00:03 +0000

Microsoft recently rolled out deeper voice assistant integration on Xbox One, hooking up select smart speakers to the console. Following unprecedented growth of connected home platforms, the new "Xbox Skill" allows Cortana and Alexa-enabled devices to feed commands to the platform. Building on strong foundations established by Kinect, this brings further convenience to daily interactions.

Despite powering Xbox One voice commands from launch, Microsoft has slowly phased out Kinect, even for existing owners. Not only is the sensor hard to purchase today, but its now-mandatory adapter for modern consoles has been discontinued, making the accessory near-impossible to use. However, the Xbox Skill revives much of Kinect's original functionality, lining up a suitable $50 alternative for many.

See at Amazon

Alexa, meet Xbox One

Xbox One controller (Image credit: Windows Central)

The Amazon Echo smart speaker range has flourished, all hooking into its Alexa digital assistant. Alexa has pushed Amazon to become a leader in home automation, with an assortment of home accessories deeply integrated into the platform. At the lowest end of the line is Amazon Echo Dot, a small Alexa-enabled speaker, without comprimising on features seen in pricier counterparts. And costing just $50 for its latest revision, it's an unrivaled entry point for Amazon's digital future.

While the Amazon Echo doesn't pack the motion controls that defined Kinect, it sports its most-used features. The value was in its voice controls, bringing snappy shortcuts for the Xbox One OS. Microsoft has since started drawing this functionality away from Kinect, and there's not been anything comparable for gamers

The Xbox Skill revives most of Kinect's voice command capabilities, with support for console power controls, software startup, and general OS navigation. It's limited to Skip Ahead, Alpha, and Beta members of the Xbox Insider Program in the U.S. right now, but we expect a wider public rollout in the coming months. Even in a pre-release state Alexa integration looking strong, allowing for improved natural language with responsiveness that's close Kinect's original local console commands.

Xbox One voice commands on a budget

The Amazon Echo Dot is an entry-level speaker, packing Alexa's core functionality into a low-cost, lightweight body. It features the same microphone array seen in other Amazon Echo devices, delivering responsive recognition throughout varying distances and conditions. And with its Micro USB connector, you can power it directly with your Xbox One console.

While the integrated speaker isn't great, it's not necessary when angled as a Kinect replacement. Higher-end models provide further flexibility to explore Amazon's offerings beyond Xbox, but as always, these come at a premium. Furthermore, the small hockey puck-style design fits nicely next to a console, with a black or white finish to match.

If you're considering a Kinect in 2018, piecing together the sensor and adapter can be expensive via resellers. The Amazon Echo Dot costs just $50 for its revised second generation, with regular discounts directly through Amazon. In its pre-release state, the Alexa Xbox integration isn't flawless, but it's a strong foundation for the future. Alexa improves on areas where Cortana previously faltered, with more responsive commands, generally improved natural language, and a larger worldwide presence. Motion control holdouts may want to look elsewhere, but as Alexa's foothold grows, this could steadily become a must-have Xbox accessory. And for $50, it's a steal.

Also, be sure to check out our roundup of the best Xbox One smart speakers if you're looking for a premium alternative.

See at Amazon

Read: Best Alexa and Cortana voice speakers for Xbox One

LIV repurposes Kinect for mixed reality capture without a green screen

dan.lancaster@mobilenations.com (Dan Thorp-Lancaster) — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 20:11:43 +0000

Kinect may no longer be a staple of the Xbox experience, but developers are still figuring out how to use it in unique ways. That includes LIV, a company focused on making video capture for VR experiences more accessible, which recently figured out how to repurpose Kinect to capture mixed reality footage without the need for a green screen.

LIV already provides green screen cubes that allow broadcasters to insert themselves into captured VR footage while playing games, making for an experience that's a bit more unique than seeing a pair of floating hands on screen. With Kinect, however, broadcasters may soon be able to ditch the green screen altogether.

LIV recently showed off its setup in action with Beat Saber, a hectic music game that is integrated with LIV's SDK. Check it out below:

…and you thought we only did #greenscreen, here's @BeatSaber with a #depthcamera! Join in for #beta https://t.co/iG0hkQCx9y or talk to us at #AWE2018!

Welcome to LIV @thegiantsox
Ready Player @swanvrart
Koto by @CloZeeMusic
Mod by @Purphoros1
Real-time w/ LIV #VR @OculusRift pic.twitter.com/UwyqVFRMEZ…and you thought we only did #greenscreen, here's @BeatSaber with a #depthcamera! Join in for #beta https://t.co/iG0hkQCx9y or talk to us at #AWE2018!

Welcome to LIV @thegiantsox
Ready Player @swanvrart
Koto by @CloZeeMusic
Mod by @Purphoros1
Real-time w/ LIV #VR @OculusRift pic.twitter.com/UwyqVFRMEZ— LIV @E3 (Cix) (@LIV) May 29, 2018 May 29, 2018

The experience is still very much a work in progress, and it only supports the Kinectv2 unit and Oculus Rift for the moment. Support for additional depth-sensing cameras could be added in the future. But for those with a Kinect and a VR headset lying around, you can learn more about getting set up on LIV's Discord server.

While Kinect is essentially dead for Xbox at this point, it's cool to see what developers are still cooking up with the camera's depth-sensing capabilities. As for Microsoft, the company recently announced that Kinect's legacy will live on with Kinect for Azure, a tool built for ambient computing applications. That includes the next version of HoloLens, which will be equipped with the new Kinect sensor bundle.

Project Kinect for Azure combines AI and Microsoft's next-gen depth camera

dan.lancaster@mobilenations.com (Dan Thorp-Lancaster) — Mon, 07 May 2018 15:30:02 +0000

Kinect, as it existed for Xbox, may be dead, but its legacy continues to live on. Speaking at its Build 2018 developer conference, Microsoft announced Project Kinect for Azure, a tool meant to help developers work on new ambient computing applications.

Microsoft hasn't provided a ton of information on Project Kinect for Azure yet, but what it has looks interesting. The package is based on the company's "next generation" depth camera, and it packs onboard computing capabilities built to run Azure AI services. In combination with Microsoft's Time of Flight sensor and additional sensors, Project Kinect for Azure can be used for hand tracking, high fidelity spacial mapping, and more. As a bonus, the whole thing is small and power efficient, Microsoft says.

In a blog post today, Microsoft technical fellow and HoloLens inventor Alex Kipman said:

The technical breakthroughs in our time-of-flight (ToF) depth-sensor mean that intelligent edge devices can ascertain greater precision with less power consumption. There are additional benefits to the combination of depth-sensor data and AI. Doing deep learning on depth images can lead to dramatically smaller networks needed for the same quality outcome. This results in much cheaper-to-deploy AI algorithms and a more intelligent edge.

Kipman also confirmed that the Project Kinect sensor bundle will be used with the next version of HoloLens. Project Kinect will bring new capabilities to HoloLens, replacing the third-generation Kinect depth sensor used in the current HoloLens.

Though Kinect may have received the ax earlier this year, the tech behind it continues to serve as the basis for a range of Microsoft products. Microsoft's HoloLens has certainly benefited from the depth sensing work done with Kinect, as has Windows Mixed Reality as a whole. It's not surprising to see Microsoft would look to extend Kinect further as it focuses on AI and edge computing. What will be interesting is to see what kinds of solutions developers will come up with using Project Kinect for Azure.

6 useful things you can still do with Kinect for Xbox in 2019

Matt Brown — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 21:00:02 +0000

Earlier this year, Microsoft wrapped up production on its Kinect sensor – the company's ambitious camera and motion controller for Xbox consoles. Following a major push for the device across the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, Microsoft's hopes for the device eventually fell flat, amid privacy concerns and disappointing software support.

The end is nigh for Kinect, especially with the company having recently discontinued its Kinect adapter, which allowed the accessory to be used on the Xbox One S and Xbox One X. Despite this, the legacy Kinect established hasn't entirely diminished, with games, apps and OS-level features still available across the console. If you're among the remaining Kinect users on the console, the device still has tricks to show in 2018.

A whole load of Kinect games

This is a somewhat obvious point to start on, though the existing library of Kinect games shouldn't be forgotten. While a lack of consistent quality titles was a major factor in the device's downfall, there are still several enjoyable games built around the accessory.

One of the differentiating aspects of Kinect was its sensors, which powered its unique motion controls. Most Kinect-integrated games leveraged these tools, with hands-free gameplay that put players at the center of the experience. Among the highlights of these were FRU and Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 – games that required players to use their body to complete challenges. Other titles, such as D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die and Zoo Tycoon weren't necessarily built for Kinect, but still offered motion controls to experience the game in an imaginative way.

Alternatively, a range of games during the console's launch period supported Kinect voice commands, while still tying core gameplay to a controller. Dead Rising 3's support left players shouting "You're crazy!" at challenging foes, while Forza Horizon 2 featured a voice-controlled G.P.S and mapping system. These implementations weren't revolutionary but added additional depth for existing Kinect users.

Development of Kinect games may have come to a halt for many, though some companies continue to invest in the device. The most prevalent of these is "Virtual Air Guitar Company," a developer that still pledges to make Kinect games going forward – though it's unclear how long this can remain sustainable.

Best Kinect Games for Xbox One

Voice commands and Cortana

Of Kinect's features, arguably the most widely used has been its voice commands. Providing a sleeker (and often much faster) method of jumping between aspects of the OS, these were a great example of how Kinect can naturally fit with the console.

Some elements of the original system-level Kinect integration have been phased out, with recent revisions of the OS pushing for a more controller-focused interface. Despite this, voice commands still remain, with strict phrases to trigger shortcuts to certain apps, quickly perform certain tasks, or move around the interface.

Cortana on Xbox

For more natural language, the console also has Cortana – Microsoft's digital voice assistant from its PC and phone endeavors. Offering the similar base functionality of standard voice commands, with the expanded functionality that comes with Cortana, this packs more features and flexibility. And tying into the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), this also allows for deeper voice controls across apps, opening the console to smart-home devices and other third-party services. While there are clear limitations to Cortana's abilities, it still has potential going forward.

While Cortana is supported over Xbox One headsets, traditional voice commands are tied exclusively to the Kinect sensor. Even then, having an external microphone rather than a headset feels considerably more natural, making Kinect preferable even if not required.

Webcams for Skype, Mixer and more

Skype on Xbox One (Image credit: Windows Central)

With a high-resolution camera slapped on Kinect, the device also serves as a great webcam across supported apps. Among these is Skype, which allows for high-quality video calls, and live streaming services such as Mixer, with webcam broadcasting. This also applies to other apps available on the Xbox One which take advantage of the camera in any way.

Support for plug and play devices has been slowly rolling on Xbox One, with third-party webcams now supported on the console. While there are arguably superior cameras compatible with the console now, the Kinect still shines in both its visual quality and integrated microphone array.

If your Xbox One is used by multiple people, Kinect's automatic sign-in feature makes it easy to instantly access your personal content. Taking advantage of its tracking abilities, the Kinect can be used to automatically sign into your Xbox Live profile when walking within the presence of the sensor. This is all handled subtly, without having to navigate menus in the process.

Use it with a Windows 10 PC

While Kinect's official Xbox One support may be limited today, the full potential of the device can be unlocked with a PC. If you managed to grab one before being discontinued, the Kinect USB adapter allows the device to also be connected directly to a Windows PC, for use with the official software development kit (SDK) offered by Microsoft. If you don't have a Kinect adapter, some you can bypass this step by using our DIY guide.

Kinect unmatched tracking abilities are the biggest draw, with innovative PC applications built around the device. Alternatively, its advanced infrared technology also means the device serves as a Windows Hello camera, adding biometric security to your PC.

How to set up Windows Hello facial recognition in Windows 10

If all else fails...

Xbox Kinect (Image credit: Windows Central)

With future plans for Kinect looking grim, the feature set of the device isn't expected to grow going forward. If none of the aforementioned main features appeal to you, the device likely isn't for you. Luckily, with Kinect being a heavy device with its own complex components, it also serves as a perfect paperweight... sadface.

What do you use Kinect for in 2018? If you have any other tips, make sure to let us know in the comments section below.

Chime in: What do you think of Microsoft's decision to kill Kinect?

Jez Corden — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 14:00:02 +0000

While existing Kinect sensors will obviously continue to work, eventually the functionality could hit end of life for Xbox consoles, as support from developers becomes non-existent.

Many of us imagined a future where Kinect, powered by Cortana, would take Xbox from being a simple games console to a point where it was the centerpiece for your entire connected life, powering smart home devices, media center, and more. Without a microphone array attached to your console, voice commands on the Xbox are painful to use, and it seems like Microsoft agrees, considering Cortana has barely been updated for months.

Just read a story in MSN News that Microsoft have discontinued making the Kinect adapter. I have just bought an Xbox One X and was lucky as I had an adapter from when I used a Kinect as a web cam. I would NOT have bought the X if I couldn't have used the Kinect on it. I am saddened by this decision as it again shows Microsoft's ability to kick loyal customers in the teeth, why not let...
Bobvfr

In any case, we'd like to hear your thoughts on the fate of Kinect. Did you hate the accessory? Are motion and voice controls lame? Is this the biggest screwup Microsoft has made since, well, the various other screwups over the past few years? Windows Central forum user Bobvfr started a thread to discuss exactly that. Jump in, and let us know your thoughts.

From the forums: Bye bye, Kinect

Farewell, dear sweet Kinect

jez@windowscentral.com (Jez Corden) — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 18:00:02 +0000

Kinect, while fun in short bursts, never really achieved the success of the motion-controlled Nintendo Wii that Microsoft had hoped to capitalize on. Though for a short a time it was the fastest selling electronic consumer device in history.

Kinect incorporated an array of cameras that could detect depth, motion, and various other nuanced data that developers could then leverage to create experiences. The second Kinect camera, armed with infra-red, was powerful enough to detect pigment fluctuations in the skin to the level of being able to accurately estimate your heart rate. Applications like Xbox Fitness combined this data to create unique exercising experiences, while game developers built all sorts of wacky and wonderful experiences, including the raunchy and violent shooter Blue Estate, and the yoga photo platformer Commander Cherry.

Kinect certainly had its fans (including myself), but a series of missteps at Microsoft, combined with a general lack of compelling experiences essentially doomed the accessory. With production of both the camera and the adapter finished, Kinect will now join Microsoft Band, Groove Music, and Windows Phone on a growing scrapheap of consumer products Microsoft failed to position properly.

This is a farewell to Kinect, gone but not forgotten (even by Microsoft).

Kinect in history

Project Milo, 2009.

After Kinect's E3 2009 reveal, under code name "Project Natal," Microsoft garnered an equal amount of amazement and ridicule as a result of its now-infamous demo "Milo & Kate," which, while billed as a live demo, turned out to be conceptual at the very best. Kinect sadly never lived up to the promises made by that near-10-year-old demo, which arguably contributed to its demise.

Ex-Lionhead Studios lead Peter Molyneux claimed that Project Milo would recognize the emotional tone in people's voices and faces, and respond realistically in real time. The demo (among other things) would earn Molyneux a reputation for over-promising and under-delivering. I only had a casual interest in Xbox at the time (due in large part to a massive World of Warcraft addiction), but even still, news about Milo filtered beyond the hardcore crowd and into the mainstream, owing to its sci-fi like promises of full, virtual, interactive artificial intelligences.

Kinect V1.

Almost ten years later, Microsoft (or any other company for that matter) hasn't realized this futuristic vision, but Kinect went on to become the fastest selling accessory of all time. And probably, the fastest selling paperweight of all time, as a lack of apps and games, in addition to poor recognition and weak processing, prevented the camera array from achieving consistent adoption.

Microsoft went to surprisngly lengths to market the first Kinect despite its foibles, enlisting Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Fallon, and various other celebrities to promote the tech to casual audiences in an attempt to capture the runaway success of the Nintendo Wii, which had its own motion-tracking controllers. Microsoft also reportedly hosted a star-studded L.A. party to launch the device, reportedly attended by a-listers like David Beckham.

Reviews of the device were generally positive, with Kotaku calling it "magical." Indeed, many comparisons were drawn between Kinect and the sci-fi movie Minority Report, which has motion-controlled computer interfaces. I have to say, when I used Microsoft's upgraded Kinect V2 with the Xbox One for the first time, I completely felt the same way.

Microsoft released a second version of Kinect to ship with the Xbox One in 2013, although its inclusion was mired in controversy.

Indeed, Microsoft released a second version of Kinect to ship with the Xbox One in 2013, although its inclusion was mired in controversy. Hardcore gamers never wanted the thing, but now they were forced to purchase it with the Xbox One, which inflated its price point $100 above that of the PS4. Microsoft's attempt to drive adoption, and thus get more developers on board, was a gamble that ultimately didn't pay off. Arguably, the mis-step contributed to Xbox's position far, far behind that of the PlayStation 4. Xbox has been playing catch up ever since.

It's a shame how it all played out, because for me, Kinect coupled with voice control was a key differentiator between the Xbox One and other consoles, and something I felt was key to Microsoft's general living room computing strategy.

"Futuristic"

When I finally kicked the Warcraft habit and jumped back on the Xbox train, I found myself thoroughly enraptured by Kinect V2 on the Xbox One. Far beyond its clunky Project Milo roots and Wii Sports clones, Kinect V2 allowed me to yell voice commands at my TV, leveraging the console's IR blaster to turn the TV off and on, control volume, and even change channel. And my friends, it all just worked.

Kinect V2.

"Xbox, watch BBC News." "Xbox, volume up 5." "Xbox, record that." It was all just so magical, intuitive, and frankly liberating to finally ditch the remote control, and celebrate Xbox as the center of my entertainment system. Getting home from a long day at work and speaking those words, "Xbox on," was like a magical incantation – it really defined the start of my experience with this console generation.

Getting home from a long day at work and speaking those words, "Xbox on," was like a magical incantation.

Developers had also picked up Kinect, building a wide array of homebrew solutions and non-gaming applications, in both medicine and sign language translation, and more.

Combined with the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) which arrived on Xbox a little later, it was easy to envision a world where developers could incorporate Kinect into entire smart home systems. Some of them did, too, creating third-party apps for smart bulbs and other home automotive devices. "Xbox, turn on the lights." "Xbox, who's at the front door?" etc. I previously wrote about how Kinect could have been Microsoft's Amazon Echo. All of the pieces were in place, Microsoft just never made the play.

Xbox with Kinect (Image credit: Microsoft)

With UWP app development adoption seemingly weaker than ever, and Kinect out of the window, Microsoft has essentially conceded the home automation market to the likes of Alexa and Google Home, needlessly, and frustratingly. At least for the time being.

Microsoft bought Cortana to the Xbox One a little while ago as an option to replace the existing voice command structure. The two-system solution has been nothing short of disastrous however, creating a confusing scenario for consumers. Cortana on Xbox One was also slow, unresponsive, and just plain clunky compared to her native counterpart. While Cortana on Xbox bought features like her Notebook, reminders, and more, those media controls were harder to use than ever, and became less convenient than simply using a controller. I've been told that Microsoft still has plans to shore up Cortana and voice commands on Xbox One by various sources, pending new technology, but whether those plans are still in play are unknown. If they are, hopefully we'll see something in 2018.

In any case, with Kinect production shut down, and the Xbox One S and X adapter along with it, Microsoft is waving farewell to the peripheral, but not the technology.

Moving forward

The technology and research that powered Kinect lives on in Windows Mixed Reality, which in some ways, can be considered Kinect V3. Windows Mixed Reality's camera-laden head mounted displays (HMDs) perceive the world in a similar way to Kinect, sensing depth and using it to inform developers and thus, create experiences. HoloLens is even powerful enough to track specific hand gestures, just like Kinect, and the Windows Mixed Reality motion controllers are far more accurate and responsive than camera tech can account for at this time.

Mixed Reality certainly has its downsides too, though. Unlike Kinect, you're currently tethered to a PC and a headset to use the system, and "native" Microsoft Store support from games is limited. SteamVR is doing a lot of the heavy lifting right now, but without proper WMR support via UWP (both for games and apps), it still feels a little clunky.

That said, WMR already feels far more promising than Kinect ever did, at least as a games device. The accuracy of the motion controllers, the immersion afforded by the headset, and the inside-out camera tracking is supremely encouraging, even if the system over all has some growing pains to overcome.

Where does that leave Xbox though? We still don't know when (or indeed, if) immersive WMR will ever come to the console, but even then, it's a solution primarily aimed at gaming and some fringe productivity scenarios. Home automation, smart speakers, and TV controls have returned to a pre-Xbox One age, bound to remotes and dreams of techies and sci-fi fantasists.

Goodbye Kinect

That "Minority Report"-inspired sci-fi magic that the Kinect V2 seemed to promise has burned out. Xbox is just a games console once again with a few media apps, rather than a forward-facing futuristic all-encompassing media hub that could have (and should have) been the center of your entire home's technological set-up.

There are simple ways Microsoft could reintroduce itself in this market, by adding a microphone to the Xbox media remote for example, and improving Cortana's skill set (which the company is doing), but it doesn't feel like anyone at Xbox is pushing for that sort of scenario any more.

Kinect (Image credit: Matt Brown | Windows Central)

For gamers, the resources Microsoft leveraged at Kinect will likely be repurposed and refocused towards games and gaming, which is by no means a bad thing, but if that truly is the case, it's not without a sense of sadness that I ask, "why couldn't we have both?"

Since I didn't pick up a Kinect adapter fast enough for my Xbox One X… I guess I have to say goodbye to Kinect too. I doubt killing off Kinect will impact Xbox in any negative way in the long run (I mean, if people were using it, they'd have kept it). At the very least, this one random tech blogger will forever miss saying that magical phrase "Xbox on". Like many Microsoft product deaths recently, I'm sure many of us will continue to wonder what could have been, while questioning the long term future of other new and upcoming hardware products from Microsoft.

Microsoft kills Kinect Adapter for Xbox One S, Xbox One X

Asher Madan — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 08:59:17 +0000

Today, the company announced it has ended production of the popular Kinect Adapter for Xbox One S and Xbox One X. The original Xbox One, which launched in 2013, contained a dedicated Kinect port because initially, the console required the accessory to function. Due to severe consumer backlash, Microsoft decided to change that policy, with a refined Xbox One S lacking the port a few years later. The same holds true for the recently-released Xbox One X because, just like the Xbox One S, it lacks a dedicated Kinect port.

This news will be disappointing to many gamers who wanted to use a Kinect with their Xbox One S or Xbox One X. The Kinect not only allows you to speak to Cortana seamlessly, but it's also necessary when you're playing titles like Fru or Kinect Sports Rivals. Certain games and applications like Just Dance 2018 and Skype go one step further because they let you to record or transmit video through Kinect.

Not only that, but this is also troubling news for studios that exclusively make Kinect games like Virtual Air Guitar Company. In a statement issued to Polygon, a Microsoft spokesperson said the following about the company's decision to discontinue the Kinect Adapter.

After careful consideration, we decided to stop manufacturing the Xbox Kinect Adapter to focus attention on launching new, higher fan-requested gaming accessories across Xbox One and Windows 10.

The fact that Microsoft will no longer make the Kinect Adapter has also lead to a further price increase across the third-party market, with some adapters reaching as high as $300 on Amazon. That costs more than the Kinect camera itself! Meanwhile, it's still easy to purchase a Kinect 2.0 on Amazon for roughly $80.

The discontinuation effectively means that those who purchase the Xbox One S or Xbox One X won't be able to use the Kinect, without delving into third-party resellers. Studios like Virtual Air Guitar Company already struggle when it comes to selling its games because not many individuals own the peripheral to begin with, and this change only amplifies its struggles. Not many gamers, if any, will be willing to drop up to $300 on an adapter. Even sellers on websites like eBay are asking around $100 for used ones.

When the Xbox One S launched, the company offered a free Kinect Adapter to those who had a camera. There has been a shortage of Kinect Adapters for months now and the company is yet to provide a viable solution (and likely never will) for existing owners. Abruptly discontinuing the Kinect Adapter seems like the opposite reaction to this problem.

Keep an eye on WindowsCentral.com/Gaming for all the latest in Xbox and Windows 10 gaming, accessories, news, and reviews!

Boom Ball 3 for Kinect launches on Xbox One this month

Asher Madan — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 20:22:23 +0000

Despite the fact that Microsoft is no longer manufacturing the Kinect camera, Virtual Air Guitar Company continues to develop Kinect games for fans of motion controlled experiences. Aki Kanerva, Founder and Lead Designer at Virtual Air Guitar Company, said, "We keep believing in Kinect family fun. There are many Kinect owners out there and we want to keep providing great experiences for everyone."

Boom Ball 3 for Kinect provides ping-pong fun for up to two players players of all ages. The fifty new levels are set across landscapes ranging from the French countryside to sand-blasted deserts. Even mythical cities like Atlantis and exotic alien planets make an appearance! The two-player mode introduced in Boom Ball 2 now takes up less space. Thankfully, players are no longer required to stand in specific positions anymore.

The game also offers new difficulty modes for players looking for an intense challenge. In the Fast and Turbo modes, you have fewer balls, and the speed of the projectiles increases. This makes it difficult to position your hands in the correct spot at all times. Only the most skillful players will be able to succeed here.

Lastly, players can now customize their paddles to add more flair and personalization. By completing levels, gamers unlock icons and special effects. Just like many Kinect games, you can also use the camera to take a photo and superimpose it on the paddles. The game will be available exclusively on Xbox One for $9.99 in a few weeks.

Keep an eye on WindowsCentral.com/Gaming for all the latest in Xbox and Windows 10 gaming, accessories, news, and reviews!

Chime in: Are you still using Xbox One's Kinect?

Jez Corden — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 15:30:02 +0000

A while ago, Microsoft admitted that it had ended production on Kinect units, effectively killing the motion-controlling camera array. Kinect not only had potential as a casual gaming peripheral, it also had home-automation and voice-control qualities via Cortana voice commands and its TV-controlling IR blaster.

The IR blaster is now baked directly into the console, and for the Xbox One S and the Xbox One X, you need to use a pricey adapter to continue using your Kinect. However, it is still quite cool to be able to navigate your cable channels and control volume and power simply by saying it, and there are tons of great kids games. At least one forum user agrees.

Hi, I want to get the xbox one x, but my kids love the Kinect games we have on the One.... does the One X support Kinect or not?
refishafi

Forum member refishafi asked our Xbox community if people are still using Kinect, specifically with the Xbox One X. We'd like to hear if you're still on the Kinect train too! What do you use it for? And do you plan to keep on keepin' on with Kinect? And should Microsoft have killed it off?

From the forums: I would like to buy Xbox One S - BUT

Disneyland Adventures review: Skip the long lines and visit Disneyland on Xbox and Windows

Paul Acevedo — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 06:14:37 +0000

One of the best Kinect games ever, Disneyland Adventures, is now back on Xbox One and Windows 10 with Xbox Play Anywhere support. Players of all ages will love the chance to explore an authentic virtual Disneyland using either a controller or Kinect.

Welcome to Disneyland

Disneyland Adventures is a simulation of the California Disneyland theme park. The park is gigantic and filled to the brim with the sights and sounds you would experience in the actual theme park. People like me who've never been to the real park will love the chance to explore it from the comfort of home.

Walking around a virtual theme park would get old quickly without stuff to do. Thankfully Disneyland Adventures has three main ways to keep busy: interacting with Disney characters, hunting down collectibles, and of course, the rides.

Meet your favorite Disney characters

One of the joys of visiting a real theme park is posing for photographs with people dressed as popular characters. Disneyland Adventures takes that concept to a whole new level as you're not just meeting suited characters, but the characters themselves.

From classic toons like Mickey and Donald to newer creations such as Buzz Lightyear and Stitch, you'll encounter practically every Disney character worth caring about in this game. They look (and usually sound) just like the real things. Using the d-pad you can hug, high five, dance, and ask for autographs, as well as taking pictures with every character. Kids will really love the sense of affection the Disney characters exhibit towards them with these interactions.

The toons often give you fetch quests and other tasks to complete, such as finding Donald's lost hat or food for Stitch. Fetch quests aren't normally very engaging, but the authentic characters and delightful and endearing atmosphere here make these tasks a pleasure. Similarly, the game is overflowing with collectibles – not unlike collectathon platformers Banjo Kazooie and Yooka-Laylee. Hunting everything down will take hours and hours, exposing you to the park's many nooks and crannies.

Minigames and rides

Of course, a theme park simulator would be nothing without rides to go on. Disneyland Adventures does not disappoint, with multiple rides presented as full multi-stage minigames. These include rides based on Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and more. You'll also find minigames based on real-life rides like The Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World, and Splash Mountain.

Most of these minigames have transitioned smoothly from Kinect controls to physical ones. Some involve pressing a sequence of face buttons in quick succession though (as pictured above), which is much harder than it should be. The timing and presentation on those bits could use some tweaking.

Exploring the park with a friend

Disneyland Adventures would be a fine single-player game, but two-player local co-op makes it even better. The entire game supports drop-in, drop-out play. As you explore the park, the main player controls movement while the second player tags along on autopilot.

Once you start talking to a Disney character, the toon greets each player and then you both have a chance to interact with him or her. I love this aspect of the game because a parent can handle the relatively complex park navigation but their young child still has a chance to hug Mickey and the gang.

The real fun of co-op is taking on the attractions together. Pretty much every ride is made easier with a partner since they can collect coins and attack enemies alongside you. All of the attractions can be instantly selected from the Fast pass menu - a great feature when you and your partner want to enjoy the attractions without running around the park.

Kinect support

Disneyland Adventures supports both physical controllers and Kinect. While the minigames play great with Kinect, park navigation is ill-suited to motion controls. Putting out your left or right arm turns you in that direction, while moving your arms forward (as if you were running or power walking) makes your character walk.

Those movement controls are far too clunky and imprecise. Navigating the park and hunting for thousands of collectibles becomes a chore when you have to flap your arms the whole time. Unlocking the minigames through normal controller play and then accessing them with Kinect through the Fast Pass menu is an option, though.

Xbox One and Xbox One X enhanced

The original Xbox 360 game was developed by Frontier Developments (of Planet Coaster and Jurassic World Evolution fame). The Xbox One and Windows ports, however, come from Asobo Studio, makers of the enjoyable Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure, which has also just jumped to Xbox One and Windows.

Playing on Xbox One, the game sports mild graphical enhancements, including new lighting and colors. Some of the textures appear to be enhanced as well, though there are still low-resolution textures here and there. The frame rate hovers at around 30 frames per second, but it dips more than often than it should. Loading times into and out of minigames are also excessively long, unfortunately.

Disneyland Adventures is enhanced for Xbox One X, with native 4K resolution and HDR. If the frame rate and loading are also improved, the Xbox One X will easily be the best way to visit this virtual Disneyland.

Overall impression

When I spoke to the original developers at E3 a few years ago, I remarked that motion controls were the only holding Disneyland Adventures back. Now the game is back on Xbox One and Windows – and we can finally play it with a controller. With a vast virtual park to explore, loads of beloved characters, and plenty of minigames, Disneyland Adventures is one of the best Disney games out there.

Pros:

Explore a vast and largely authentic Disneyland from the comfort of home.
Meet and interact with your favorite Disney characters.
Two-player co-op makes this a perfect family game.

Cons:

Loading times are excessive on Xbox One.
The frame rate could be smoother.
The in-game map is slow to load and difficult to use for navigation.

Disneyland Adventures costs $29.99 on Xbox One and Windows 10. It's an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so progress and purchases on the downloadable Xbox and Windows 10 versions carry over between those two platforms.

Xbox One review copy provided by the publisher.

Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure Xbox review – A Kinect classic returns with controller support

Paul Acevedo — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 05:42:30 +0000

Six years ago, Microsoft pumped out some interesting Kinect-exclusive Xbox 360 games. But one thing held these games back: clunky Kinect controls. Now one of those exclusives is back, as Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure (still a terrible title). With levels based on six Pixar properties and Xbox Play Anywhere support, this is a great game for Disney fans – and it can finally be played with a controller!

Welcome to Pixar camp

Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure takes place at a Pixar-themed park, where kids can pretend to be part of their favorite Pixar movies. The park has six playground-ish areas devoted to specific Pixar franchises. It's populated by non-interactive kids who all look the same (other than hairstyles, and skin and clothing colors).

You can walk up to each movie's area and initiate the corresponding minigames, but that's it. Since the hub world doesn't serve any purpose besides establishing atmosphere, the time-saving option to select each game from a menu (as Disneyland Adventures offers) would have been nice.

Before you enter the park, you need to create a character. The part selection is unusually skimpy – you can select skin colors, but there's no pale skin option, for instance. And the models are a bit ugly, so your custom child probably won't look great when you're done.

Every time you select your character (custom or preset), the game runs through a montage of how the character will look in the different minigames: a superhero, car, rat, scout, and toy robot. The montage should really be skippable since it lasts for several seconds and never changes.

Six worlds to explore

Rush features six worlds based on the following Pixar franchises:

Cars.
Finding Dory.
The Incredibles.
Ratatouille.
Toy Story.
Up.

Each world has three levels (except for Finding Dory, which only has two), for a total of seventeen levels. Every movie's world is basically a tiny game based on that franchise, with gameplay tailored specifically to it. So Cars is an arcade-style racing game in which your car must first try out for Lightning McQueen's team and then take place in espionage-themed missions based on the second Cars film. The handling is a bit too fiddly, but it's still pretty fun little racer.

Finding Dory is brand new to the Xbox One and Windows 10 versions of Rush. Instead of playing as a custom character, you simply choose to play as either Nemo the fish or Squirt the sea turtle. This one has full 3D steering, with the right trigger accelerating forward as in the Cars levels. Swimming around underwater environments with control of all three axes might be too complex for small children, but older kids and adults will be fine.

The other movies' levels are primarily 3D platformers. You run, jump, swing from ropes, and more as you team up with NPCs and act out scenarios from each movie. In Up, the player and Russell get to chase after Carl's house, escape from Muntz's zeppelin, and more. The Incredibles has you teaming up with Violet to avoid nasty hazards, rescue Mirage, and battle a spider-like Omnidroid. Toy Story involves helping Woody rescue the porcupine toy nobody cares about from Al (the guy in the chicken suit from Toy Story 2). And you rescue a rat in jar and paddle through a sewer in Ratatouille.

The fact that Rush's levels aren't just minigames is its greatest strength. Instead of just doing movie-ish things like in Disneyland Adventures (which also just came to Xbox One and is great), these levels feel like proper adaptations of the movies. Their atmospheres are perfectly captured with beautiful graphics, spot-on sound (mostly using the real movie voice actors), and great level design. Because there are only three levels per film, none of them wears out its welcome – you can have a blast even if you don't care about the rat movie or Larry the Cable Guy pretending to be a mentally-handicapped truck (instead of a mentally-handicapped comedian).

Each level has a fair bit of replay value, too. The points you earn from collecting coins and completion time at the end of the level fill up a reward meter for that level. You'll unlock secondary objectives (such as trapping Muntz's dogs in Up), new moves, and new helper characters from the films. These open up different areas, a la Metroid, and increase scoring potential, so you can finally achieve Gold and Platinum medals. Each level also hides four hidden collectibles that unlock the ability to play as characters from the films.

Co-op adventures

After selecting your character and save-file at the beginning, the game asks if anyone else would like to play. Rush supports two-player split-screen co-op in both the park and all movie-themed levels. The process of signing in a second Kinect player was terrible on Xbox 360, but all that frustration is eliminated here thanks to improved Kinect performance and especially the ability to just join in with a second controller. The second player can drop in or out at any time.

Bringing along a partner actually makes the game play a little differently, as most levels have one or more simple co-op puzzles. These tend to involve one player stepping on a switch so that the other can reach a new area or unlock a new path. They mostly enhance the co-op experience, especially now that you can play with a controller to avoid unintuitive motion controls.

Also on the plus side, if either player fails too many times or spends too much time in an area, the game gives you the option to skip to the next section. That came in handy when the game glitched in first Toy Story level and wouldn't let me complete an objective. With that one exception, Rush has been a smooth experience.

Better than ever on Xbox One and Windows 10

French developer Asobo Studio did a great job on the original Xbox 360 version of Rush (called Kinect Rush). It's great that Microsoft allowed the company to revisit Rush for Xbox One and Windows 10, adding proper physical controls, HDR, and native 4K support on Xbox One X.

Awkward movement controls always held the original game back, but now Rush plays great with a controller – and you can still use the Kinect if that's your thing. The sheer variety of franchises and gameplay make this a game that parents and Disney-loving gamers won't want to miss.

Pros:

Play levels based on six different Pixar film franchises.
Two-player split-screen support makes this a great game to play with kids.
You can play with either physical or motion controls.

Cons:

The hub world serves no purpose beyond level selection.
Voice samples often become repetitive during gameplay.
Platforming feels a bit simplistic when using a controller.

Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure costs $29.99 on Xbox One and Windows 10. It's an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so progress and purchases on the downloadable Xbox and Windows 10 versions carry over between those two platforms.

Xbox One review copy provided by the publisher.

Virtual Air Guitar reveals new Kinect games after Microsoft kills camera

Asher Madan — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 20:49:13 +0000

The original Kinect was introduced in 2010 and an updated version shipped with the Xbox One in 2013. Without Microsoft's support it seems like games which utilize the device are doomed, but there's at least one studio out there standing strong. Virtual Air Guitar Company just announced that they are continuing Kinect development with two new games. When asked about their decision to keep on making Kinect games, Founder and Lead Designer Aki Kanerva said the following.

Even though manufacturing has stopped, that doesn't mean all the Kinects out there have suddenly stopped existing. We continue to support Kinect, and we'll keep making Kinect games for as long as enough people keep buying them.

That's a great attitude to have given the situation. The success of the new games, Boom Ball 3 for Kinect and Kinect Funhouse, depends on it. Hopefully Kinect fans will continue using the accessory for years to come and supporting such titles if they enjoy them.

Boom Ball 3 for Kinect is nearing completion and will be released in December 2017 through the ID@Xbox program. It will be available exclusively on Xbox One for $9.99. Just like past Boom Ball games, the title requires you to use your hands to bounce a ball and break blocks. The game features fifty all-new levels this time around too.

It's unclear what Kinect Funhouse is yet as the developer just confirmed its existence. They recently begun work on the game and it's expected to release in Spring 2018. Further details about the title will be announced in 2018. If you like Kinect games be sure to keep a look out for Boom Ball 3 towards the end of the year. Additionally, you can still easily pick up a Kinect 2.0 sensor on Amazon while stocks last.

See at Amazon

Keep an eye on WindowsCentral.com/Gaming for all the latest in Xbox and Windows 10 gaming, accessories, news, and reviews!

Where to buy Microsoft's Kinect (while you still can)

Richard Devine — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 15:00:02 +0000

It's sad that Microsoft confirmed that the Kinect isn't being made anymore for the Xbox One, but that doesn't mean Kinect will stop working. There are some pretty fun games out there that use Kinect, and it's still a pretty handy camera and microphone combination.

But with no more being made, you'll need to act fast if you want to snag one before they're gone forever. Here are some places to find them. They might go quickly, though, so if you want one act fast.

Amazon

Amazon currently has Kinects on sale both used and new, with a brand new one costing around $45. Used ones can be had for about $10 less, but you'll be pretty much resigned to resellers. There are plenty in stock, so it's a good place to start.

Microsoft

Microsoft's online store is out of stock for the Kinect, but you can still use the "Find in store" button on the page to check your local retail stores. Not all of them will be able to sell you a Kinect, but it's a good way to check out your local area and grab what stock remains.

However, unless the stores have reduced the prices themselves, it looks like it'll still cost the full $100. And you can do much better than that.

See at Microsoft

GameStop

GameStop has preowned Kinects only, but they're also really cheap at just $19.99. PowerUp Rewards Elite Pro members can get it for even less at $15.99.

See at GameStop

Best Buy

You can buy a Kinect from Best Buy, but you'll be paying full price. Or rather, you get $5 off full price at $95. So this is maybe a last resort option.

See at Best Buy

eBay

Ah, eBay. If there's something you can't find on eBay, it probably doesn't exist. Prices will vary across the board, and there'll be a bunch of used items, but it's a good place to score a lower-priced Kinect.

See at eBay

Your finds

Those are some of the places we found where you can still snag a Kinect. If you find anymore, or a particularly good deal somewhere, be sure to drop it into the comments.

Windows Central Podcast 70: R.I.P Kinect

zac.bowden@futurenet.com (Zac Bowden) — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 17:10:01 +0000

We're back with another exciting episode of the Window Central Podcast. This week, Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden talk about the death of Microsoft's Kinect sensor, our impressions of Windows Mixed Reality a week or so after launch, the Andromeda device, Consumer Reports and more!

Help us make this show the best Microsoft podcast in the world. Tell your friends, share it on social media using the hashtag #wcpodcast, and give us a five-star rating wherever you download your podcasts! Thank you so much for listening!

We've got two options for you, either the video podcast or the audio podcast, both featuring the same content.

Show Notes

2:50 Andromeda recap
15:27 New builds
19:15 Consumer Reports won't recommend the Surface Book 2
27:00 Mixed Reality impressions
42:15 Kinect is dead
52:40 Xbox One X

Download directly: Audio
Listen via: Windows Central app Windows 10 | Android
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Hosts

Make this show great by participating!

Send in your comments, questions, and feedback to:

Email: wcpodcast@windowscentral.com
Twitter: @WindowsCentral with hashtag #wcpodcast
Or leave a comment below!

Virtual Air Guitar vows to make Kinect games even after Microsoft killed the camera

Asher Madan — Sun, 29 Oct 2017 02:07:47 +0000

The company touted the device as a great way to play games using your hands and body but many of the titles failed to live up to that potential. While the original Kinect was one of the best selling video game peripherals ever, the second version was seen as a burden because it was forced upon people purchasing the Xbox One, inflating the overall price. Aside from that, there were privacy concerns and other controversies surrounding the product.

Well, this month Microsoft finally stopped production without revealing a new sensor or replacement. While the second Kinect may have been a controversial accessory, many studios built businesses around it. For example, you may have heard about a recent game called Fru from a small studio which relies on your body to reveal additional areas. Another such developer, which makes copious Kinect titles, is the Virtual Air Guitar Company. Virtual Air Guitar has shipped everything from Air Guitar Warrior for Kinect to Kung-Fu for Kinect. The list goes on and on.

Yes, we're still working on new #Kinect games - two in fact! We'll keep making them as long as enough people keep buying them. Details soon.Yes, we're still working on new #Kinect games - two in fact! We'll keep making them as long as enough people keep buying them. Details soon.— Virtual Air Guitar (@VirtualAirGtr) October 27, 2017 October 27, 2017

Despite the fact that Microsoft stopped manufacturing the device, Virtual Air Guitar says that they'll continue to make Kinect games as long as people keep buying them. Currently they have two in development. There obviously isn't a shortage of sensors as you can still buy them easy, but the fact that Microsoft is abandoning a peripheral which many individuals have built businesses around is saddening to say the least.

The technology that powered Kinect has been moved along into Windows Mixed Reality, but for those fans and developers who invested in Kinect, it's hard to envision them trusting Microsoft once again in this new category. Kinect also had potential as a Cortana voice control assistant in a world where Google Home and the Amazon Echo are making headlines, but sadly, it never came to be. Hopefully Xbox head Phil Spencer and the Xbox Team know this, even though a lot of these are simply business decisions.

In any case, the move to kill Kinect seems like an incredible shame to those who actively use the peripheral either in a consumer or developer capacity. At the very least, Virtual Air Guitar is going to continue working with the device for now, but as we've seen with Windows 10 Mobile, support will dwindle without the backing of Microsoft.

You can still grab a Kinect sensor from Amazon for around $50.

See at Amazon

Keep an eye on WindowsCentral.com/Gaming for all the latest in Xbox and Windows 10 gaming, accessories, news, and reviews!

Microsoft kills Kinect for Xbox One

Matt Brown — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 13:29:23 +0000

After years of troubled engagement since its unveiling back in 2011, it appears Microsoft's ill-fated Kinect sensor is finally being put to bed. As reported by Co.Design (via The Verge), Microsoft has ended production of the sensor, leaving retailers to sell what remains of stock going forward. The company has reaffirmed that Kinect will still be supported for now, but don't expect any new features going forward.

This move comes as little of a surprise, following the dwindling success of the Kinect sensor across its lifetime. While its initial launch on Xbox 360 crowned it one of the fastest-selling devices in all time, beyond the initial boom, the camera and microphone accessory struggled to gain traction.

Kinect (Image credit: Matt Brown | Windows Central)

With growing interesting motion controls last decade, Microsoft's Kinect offered an appealing premise to consumers – players would be the controller. Capitalizing on the success of Nintendo's Wii console in the home, Kinect's depth camera offered unrivaled tracking for consoles at the time. However, without support from developers to push the accessory, its appeal in the living room diminished.

Microsoft later reworked the device for the Xbox One, including the sensor will all consoles shipped at launch. With large-scale pushback amid privacy concerns, Microsoft eventually sold the console standalone, in turn, lowering cost of Xbox One entry-level consoles. That move eventually led to the situation Kinect finds itself in today, as an accessory for only a subset of the Xbox One user base.

While it initially showed potential, Kinect's passing comes as little of a surprise but wasn't entirely a loss for Microsoft. The research from Kinect has influenced several of Microsoft's efforts encompassing augmented reality and virtual reality – most notably HoloLens and the Windows Mixed Reality platform.

Updated October 25, 2017: Speaking to Windows Central, a Microsoft spokesperson has confirmed that production on Kinect sensors has ended. However, the company has highlighted that while the devices will no longer be produced, Kinect still has a place in the Xbox One ecosystem for existing customers.

Manufacturing for Kinect for Xbox One has ended but it is not the end of the journey for the technology. Kinect continues to delight tens of millions of Xbox owners and Kinect innovations live on in Xbox One, Windows 10, Cortana, Windows Mixed Reality and future technologies.

Kinect and Cortana should have been Xbox's Amazon Echo

Jez Corden — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 13:00:01 +0000

You were accused of being a CIA spying tool for the living room, blamed for the Xbox One's inflated 2013 price point, hated for your less-than-reliable voice recognition, and laughed at for lackluster games offering.

Yet, I miss you.

Sure, sometimes "Xbox, pause" would require more than three attempts to register. The motion tracking wasn't exactly stellar in most games, and it was pretty damn huge. Finding a place for it around my TVs has always been an issue.

But there was always something mystifying and magical about Kinect, with its beady HAL-9000-like eye and flashing IR tracking lights. Coming home from work to say "Xbox, on," and watching my TV and Xbox boot up, and sign me in with facial recognition felt futuristic. The games might have been unable to compete with mainstream titles, but I had a lot of fun playing Fruit Ninja and Commander Cherry with both younger, and non-gaming relatives.

The irony of Kinect being side-lined is all the more painful given the rise of Alexa and the Amazon Echo, which is essentially a similar proposition. With the introduction of Cortana, Microsoft would have beat the Amazon Echo to the punch had it nurtured and iterated upon Kinect, but alas, like many things Microsoft attempts to do — they screwed up (or gave up).

The Amazon Echo.

Now Kinect, Cortana, and the idea of voice controls on the Xbox One are all but a forgotten memory. There was a time when every party chat I was in was full of "Xbox record that," the signature chorus of Xbox gamers pwning n00bz. Alas, silence, as most gamers simply press Guide + X to make clips now.

The technology that powers Kinect might have shown up in other Microsoft products, like Windows Hello and HoloLens, but its failure on Xbox is looking like it could have wider ramifications for Microsoft's assistive A.I. efforts, most notably Cortana.

Cortana vs. Alexa

Having used both Kinect with Cortana and an Amazon Echo extensively, it's quite plain which of the two is a better product. The Amazon Echo is far better at recognizing individual voices, responding to complex commands, and has a lot of tricks that beat Cortana running on an Xbox One, most notably when it comes to shopping and integration with other services.

Cortana is named after the A.I. character in the Halo video game series. (Image credit: Microsoft)

Cortana on Xbox is painfully slow, the commands are less intuitive than the previous "Xbox" call-sign commands, and her feature set is nowhere near as useful as promised in early videos. Development for Cortana on Xbox has practically halted, with no meaningful improvements or updates in the best part of a year.

Cortana and Alexa are teaming up in the near future, with both services becoming available across Amazon Echo devices and Windows PCs. You'll be able to summon either Cortana or Alexa at will, leveraging the separate toolkits of both assistants. It seems a little odd that Microsoft would piggyback on Alexa rather than develop their own assistant, but perhaps not, given how little attention Cortana has received even on Windows 10.

Microsoft had the technology and the software to beat Alexa to the punch years ago, but it didn't. Harman/Kardon is working on an Echo-like Cortana speaker, but it'll likely only hit shelves in the US, before flopping out of existence entirely. Assisted speaker tech is still pretty niche, but it needn't have been with Xbox.

Is Kinect dead?

The Kinect 2.0 (bundled with the Xbox One in 2013) was scapegoated as the cause of the system costing $100 more than its PlayStation counterpart. It was also blamed for taking up system resources, preventing the Xbox One hitting 900p – 1080p resolutions were more frequently found in PlayStation 4 versions of multi-platform games. Microsoft stripped out much of the Kinect features to compensate over time, removing Snap Mode, dashboard motion tracking, and much more, to lighten the load on the OS for other features.

Nowadays, to use the Kinect you need to purchase a separate $40 USB adapter, as the Xbox One S (or the Xbox One X) doesn't have a Kinect port. Microsoft never released an updated version of Kinect powered by USB 3.0 for use with the S or X, presumably because they're done with the technology – or are they?

To use Kinect today, you're gonna need one of these adapters.

Oddly enough, some of the games making up the Xbox 2017 Fall lineup are, indeed, remastered Kinect games. Including Zoo Tycoon and a couple of Disney titles. Sure, they don't require Kinect, but support is there.

I have also been told by several individual sources that Cortana development for Xbox hasn't come to an end, but is merely awaiting a new type of framework that should solve some of the problems with speed and accuracy. The amount of Cortana skills the assistant is capable of using is set to increase too.

So, if Cortana development is still on-going, and new Kinect games are coming, why continue half-heartedly?

Kinect 3.0

Our Executive Editor Daniel Rubino has recently written about how Microsoft needs a media remote with voice controls in it, to streamline the process of accessing Cortana on Xbox. Indeed, you can use Cortana with any microphone attached to your console, but when you're using that microphone for party chat, it's not exactly as intuitive as a dedicated mic for the assistant, such as via a remote or Kinect itself.

Xbox media remote (Image credit: Windows Central)

Lots of newer laptops on the scene have something known as far-field audio technology that allows the laptop or PC to hear voice commands when you're away from the computer. Kinect already does this, using a powerful microphone array that is quite accurate when calibrated properly. For the vast majority of Xbox owners, though, having voice commands is still a niche use case.

Perhaps Microsoft should build a standalone Kinect 3.0, that, similarly to the Amazon Echo, can work both in conjunction with Xbox and independently of Xbox, maybe with phones instead. We're almost 5 years away from the launch of the Kinect 2.0, you have to imagine that Redmond could produce something smaller, less clunky, while retaining the power and functionality.

Kinect 3.0 could be positioned as something that can both take on Amazon's Alexa, Google's own home assistant solution, and other mobile assistants, while augmenting the experience on Xbox One and your TV.

The fact developers can plug into Cortana leveraging the Skills Kit SDK and the Universal Windows Platform, and the fact there is already an array of games and apps on Xbox One that utilize Kinect, puts it in a unique place to take on the Echo even from the back of the race – if someone at Redmond was to care about it.

Kinect and Cortana could be great

Sure, Xbox is primarily a gaming device, but there's no reason it can't be something more in the process. The features are there, the technology is there, and the interest in voice-assisted living room speakers is there, so why has Microsoft given up?

Maybe Redmond has something baking deep in its labs to work towards this goal, maybe it doesn't, but it's just a little frustrating how Kinect's great features got shelved in the whirlwind of negativity following 2013's botched reveal for no real reason. The rise of Alexa and the Amazon Echo proves that there was a market for this sort of service, yet for whatever reason, Microsoft rolled it back on Xbox rather than hit the gas.

Perhaps in the future they can turn things around – if the new framework I've been told about turns out to be a thing – or maybe Kinect will just join the Microsoft Band and Windows 10 Mobile as promising products Microsoft failed to nurture. As of writing, you can still pick up Kinect for around $50, but who knows for how much longer.

Don't expect a free Kinect adapter with your Xbox One X

dan.lancaster@mobilenations.com (Dan Thorp-Lancaster) — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 16:50:19 +0000

If you were hoping to get your hands on a free Kinect adapter with your Xbox One X purchase, you might want to temper your expectations. When asked about the possibility of a free adapter program on Twitter, Xbox Marketing Chief Aaron Greenberg noted that a previous program to give free adapters to Xbox One S buyers has ended.

We provided free adapters for a good part of last year following X1S launch, but that program has ended.We provided free adapters for a good part of last year following X1S launch, but that program has ended.— Aaron Greenberg (@aarongreenberg) September 30, 2017 September 30, 2017

If one wanted to parse Greenberg's words, you could infer that a similar program for the One X hasn't been totally ruled out. However, that doesn't seem likely.

After an initial push with the launch of the original Xbox One, Microsoft has largely left the Kinect behind. The most obvious evidence of this is what caused the need for adapters to begin with: the lack of a Kinect port on the Xbox One S. Because it uses a proprietary connector, the Kinect required a dedicated port on the original Xbox One. Since Microsoft eliminated the port on the One S, it ran a program to give away free adapters for some time after the console's launch. Like the One S, the Xbox One X also lacks a dedicated Kinect port.

If you are planning to use a Kinect unit with your Xbox One X, you can pick up an adapter for $39.99.

The Xbox One X is scheduled for release on November 7 for $499.

A complete list of 'Xbox One X Enhanced' games (up to 4K, HDR)
'Xbox One X Enhanced' games and what to expect: 4K, HDR, 60 FPS and more
Is the Xbox One Kinect still worth buying in 2017?

How to claim your free Kinect adapter for the Xbox One S

Matt Brown — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 11:00:05 +0000

When Microsoft announced the latest iteration of its flagship console, the Xbox One S, it was noted that a Kinect port will be absent on the slimmed-down unit. With the company's focus on motion controls quickly diverging elsewhere, users will need a separate adapter to use the Kinect sensor on the console.

Updated November 28, 2017: The free Kinect adapter deal has now ended for Xbox One S. Instead, users can purchase a Kinect adapter from the Microsoft Store or Amazon.

Updated May 29, 2019: It's no longer possible to get an official Kinect adapter, but there are many third-party solutions that do work like this one.

The Kinect sensor no longer ships with the latest Xbox One units, however, can be purchased separately from a number of retailers. If you choose to go out of your way to use the device, an adapter can be purchased directly from Microsoft for $39.99.

If you're an early adopter of Kinect, Microsoft has set up a program to provide free sensor adapters to those with older consoles. For a limited time, Xbox Support will be distributing these complementary adapters upon request.

Here's how to request your free Kinect adapter for the Xbox One S:

Collect the serial numbers for your original Xbox One console, Xbox One S console and Kinect sensor. If you plan to trade in your original Xbox One console, it's crucial you collect the original console's serial number beforehand.
Contact Xbox Support and request your free adapter. You'll be asked to hand over your three serial numbers, so make sure these are nearby.

Before contacting Xbox Support, it's recommended that you register your two consoles and Kinect sensor online. If registered prior to the call, the Xbox supervisor can quickly pull the serial numbers from your Microsoft account.

Are you planning to pick up a free Kinect adapter for the Xbox One S? Let us know in the comments!

See Kinect at Microsoft Store

Kinect 2.0 picks up deeper UWP integration and Windows Hello support on PC thanks to new drivers

Jez Corden — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 18:00:14 +0000

Microsoft detailed plans to bring deeper integration between Kinect and UWP back in May 2016, but the company has now issued a driver update that enables new developer features that arrived through this past summer's Anniversary Update.

As detailed on this blog post (via WinBuzzer), Kinect can now act as a regular RGB webcam for Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps both on Xbox and Windows 10 with the same code.

Additionally, while Kinect has the capabilities, enabling it as a camera for Windows Hello required a bunch of registry hacks to get it running. This new driver update streamlines the process, allowing it to be used as a regular camera source to support Windows Hello's biometric authentication.

The update introduces new APIs for skeletal tracking, depth perception and more for UWP Windows Store apps and games, and all of the new features align with Xbox One too, since the summer update.

"Finally, we should note that the Xbox summer update also enables these Kinect features through Windows.Media.Capture.Frames for UWP apps. Thus, apps that use the Kinect sensor's RGB, infrared, and/or depth cameras will run on Xbox with same code, and Xbox can also use the Kinect RGB camera as a normal webcam for Skype-like scenarios."

While Microsoft Studios themselves haven't been putting much effort behind Kinect games, the fact Microsoft are bothering to integrate the tech into UWP for both Xbox One and Windows shows the company still believes in its capabilities. Will that belief extend to new Kinect hardware in the future? We can only hope.

You can force the driver update by going through the Device Manager. Otherwise, the new driver will arrive via Windows Update at some point in the future.

Windows Camera appears on Xbox One, and it supports Kinect!

jez@windowscentral.com (Jez Corden) — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 00:32:06 +0000

Windows Camera is typically designed to work with tablets and phones, but it appears to function just as well on the Xbox One Preview.

Appearing first on Reddit (via ICXM), we've been able to verify that it works utilizing Kinect — you just can't save images and videos as of yet. Windows Camera uses a joystick-controlled cursor at present and retains the same functionality as the app on other Windows 10 devices.

Here's a gallery of how Windows Camera functions with Kinect on Xbox One, just to give you an idea:

Currently, there's no way to save photos and videos recorded with the Windows Camera, doing so just gives you an error. This functionality could arrive with Microsoft Photos, which is presently unavailable in the Xbox One Preview store. Presumably, if Windows Camera is coming to Xbox One, it seems likely that the UWP apps for OneDrive and Microsoft Photos will arrive as methods for storing photographs taken with the Windows Camera. There's also the chance that Windows Camera appearing in the store is either a mistake or simply a test to see how well UWP functions line-up across Xbox One and other Windows 10 devices.

If this is intended, you have to begin to wonder how much additional functionality the Xbox One will receive as a result of the Universal Windows Platform. With mouse support, Microsoft Edge, Skype, Cortana, and the UWP Office apps, the Xbox One could get closer and closer to becoming a casual PC albeit with a heavy gaming slant.

The Xbox One Summer Update is set to launch in the very near future, bringing Cortana, background audio, Universal Windows Platform apps, a revamped Games & Apps section and many more new features to the console.

As more and more Universal Windows Platform apps show up on the console, the old joke of spreadsheets on your Xbox is looking less and less like a fantasy.

You can pick up Windows Camera by searching for it in the store on the Xbox One Preview, but some users on Reddit have mentioned that they can't find it. So it may have already been pulled. Stay tuned to Windows Central for further updates.

Merging the Microsoft HoloLens and Kinect could get us one step closer to the holodeck

John Callaham — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 20:52:24 +0000

Razorfish's Emerging Experiences division is experimenting with merging the technology of Microsoft's new HoloLens augmented reality headset with its Kinect motion gesture hardware. The result may help to create a version of Star Trek: The Next Generation's holodeck.

Razorfish says it has been trying to develop a way to interact with a Hololens hologram without actually wearing the headset:

We paired the Kinect with a HoloLens and have mapped the Kinect's understanding of people and space with the anchoring system of the HoloLens. The key was creating a common coordinate space within a physical room. We transform the Kinect's output to our common coordinate system and broadcast the Kinect on a network so that multiple devices can subscribe to it. Each subscribed HoloLens shares a set of anchors that is tied to our room's coordinate system. By using the anchor sharing service multiple HoloLens can share our common coordinate system. When we first saw the Kinect's data within the HoloLens we were pleasantly surprised at the dimensionality that the HoloLens is able to add and the sense of presence the Kinect's data has within the HoloLens.

It's still very early days but this use of two of Microsoft's technologies is certainly promising, and we suspect that more experiments like this will be developed in the months and years to come.

Microsoft Research's hand gesture recognition tools pick up where Kinect left off

John Callaham — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 13:23:43 +0000

The Microsoft Research division continues to work on motion gesture recognition projects similar to the company's efforts with Kinect for its Windows and Xbox platforms.

In a blog post, Microsoft talks about how researchers at its UK labs are working on new tools, called Handpose, for hand gesture recognition for use with a virtual reality headset:

The system, still a research project for now, can track detailed hand motion with a virtual reality headset or without it, allowing the user to poke a soft, stuffed bunny, turn a knob or move a dial. What's more, the system lets you see what your hands are doing, fixing a common and befuddling disconnect that happens when people are interacting with virtual reality but can't see their own hands.

A similar project is being worked on at Microsoft's Advanced Technologies Lab in Israel. It's goal is to replace PC mouse movements with hand and finger gestures. The team recorded millions of hand images and then used that data to come up with every single possible hand pose or motion:

The goal of the research project, called Project Prague, would be to provide developers with basic hand gestures, such as the one that switches a computer off. And it also makes it easy for developers to create customized gestures for their own apps or other products, with very little additional programming or expertise. The system, which utilizes machine learning to train systems to recognize motions, runs using a retail 3D camera.

The team hopes that the tools created for Project Prague could be used by apps so users can, say. flip through pages of a PowerPoint presentation by using their hands movements.

The Xbox One S will require a separate Kinect USB adapter but you can get it free

daniel@windowscentral.com (Daniel Rubino) — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 17:20:09 +0000

Microsoft has reduced the new Xbox One S by 40% when compared to the original Xbox. And while they managed to squeeze in the power brink into the device to save space on your counter they did have to remove the Kinect port to make room.

The good news is the Xbox One S is, of course, compatible with the Kinect sensor. However, you will need to pick up the Kinect USB connector kit, which is an extra $49. That purchase is not an insignificant add-on if you are a big user of voice, recognition auto-login, or gesture game support and it does mark up the price significantly for the One S.

Additionally, in order to make the Xbox One S as compact as possible and make all of these updates, we removed the dedicated Kinect port from the back. Kinect for Xbox One will still be compatible with Xbox One S via the Xbox Kinect Adapter for USB connection and offers the same great experiences as the current console.

The better news? Microsoft is giving away that connector to current Xbox One owners looking to upgrade. Microsoft has set up a dedicated page so that when the One S is available you can just enter in your serial numbers and get the adapter at zero cost.

This adapter will be available for free to customers who have an existing Xbox One console, an Xbox One Kinect and an Xbox One S console. Check back on this page when you have your Xbox One S console to order your free adapter. You will need the serial number for all three devices to get the free Xbox Kinect Adapter.

You can bookmark that page by going here: How to use an Xbox One Kinect Sensor with an Xbox One S console

Regardless, if you are committed to the new design, HDR gaming, and that significant 4K video output, the Xbox One S is your only choice at the moment.

See Kinect USB kit at Microsoft

Microsoft's Kinect used to create Star Wars-style 3D holograms

John Callaham — Thu, 19 May 2016 14:33:43 +0000

A start up company called VNTANA has created a way to make full 3D holograms of people by using Microsoft's Kinect motion capture hardware.

Microsoft's Channel 9 site shows some of what VNTANA has created with its holographic technology. The clip shows how its software, connected to Kinect, can create a 3D hologram of a person or thing, which can then be stored and used in many types of settings. The video shows how Microsoft teamed up with VNTANA to showcase its Kinect-based holograms at a recent student event at the University of Souther California, with the real Microsoft team members taking on stage with their holographic counterparts.

This week VNTANA announced plans for the HOLLAGRAM, a device that can instantly create a 3D hologram of a person they can see in front of them:

Using gesture control, they can interact directly with holographic objects, such as a celebrity, product or any other object rendered in the digital space simply by moving their hands in front of the display. Immediately after the experience, users receive a branded email with a GIF, video or photo of the experience that they can share on social media.

Windows 10 UWP apps will get more access to Kinect features with Anniversary Update

John Callaham — Mon, 16 May 2016 17:00:10 +0000

Microsoft will enable UWP Windows 10 apps to access more data from a Kinect sensor with the upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

At the moment, UWP Windows 10 apps cannot collect most of the data from a Kinect hardware device. In a blog post (via Winbeta), Microsoft stated:

With the Windows 10 Anniversary Update and a Kinect driver update, Kinect developers will be able to read RGB, infrared (IR), and depth data from the Kinect sensor. The Kinect sensor's microphone array is already visible to the UWP audio and speech recognition APIs today (although not all features from the Kinect for Windows SDK are accessible to UWP APIs)—this remains unchanged.Skeleton data is important to many Kinect apps. Through a supplemental SDK that will be available later this year, UWP developers will have access to skeletal poses. With the new capabilities in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, developers can also use the existing Windows.Media.FaceAnalysis APIs with Kinect to detect and track faces.

Current Win32 desktop apps that access the Kinect sensor won't be affected by the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

Microsoft thinks Google's self-driving car should have Kinect installed

John Callaham — Fri, 15 Apr 2016 18:58:13 +0000

Microsoft decided to take a not-too-subtle pot shot at Google's self-driving car project this week. Microsoft believes that Google's automated vehicles could benefit from its Kinect motion sensor technology.

In a post on the Kinect blog, Microsoft, without mentioning Google by name, refers to a recent report that one of Google's self-driving cars hit a bus in Mountain View, California in February. The car reportedly drove around some sandbags in a wide lane, and it believed a nearby bus would slow down, but it didn't and the two vehicles collided.

Microsoft's blog post states:

Could a Kinect sensor have helped the autonomous car make the better decision? Researchers at the University of La Laguna in the Canary Islands think so. They are building a system that uses the Kinect sensor's infrared depth camera to help self-driving cars identify nearby obstacles and maneuver around or over them. Using a self-driving golf cart, the researchers tested the Kinect depth camera against a laser rangefinder and stereo cameras. By operating the vehicle on a test road that contained stairs, ramps, and curbs, they discovered that the Kinect sensor outperformed the other two devices in detecting and correctly discerning nearby, close-to-the-ground objects.

So far, Google has yet to issue a response to the Kinect blog's statements.

Microsoft wants to project a life-sized person in a room to chat with you

John Callaham — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 15:20:14 +0000

Microsoft may be working on its HoloLens augmented reality technology, but the company has some other ideas in that area as well. One of them is called Room2Room, and it combines Microsoft's Kinect depth camera with a digital projector to place an image of a life-sized person in a room for conversation.

According to the MIT Technology Review, the idea from Room2Room is an extension of a previous Microsoft Research project called RoomAlive, which projected interactive gaming content on the sides of a room's walls. It states:

"Instead of setting up just one room with this hardware, though, they set up two similar ones so they could scan a person sitting in each room and project them into the other one. A video I was shown illustrates how it looks, with one man sitting on a chair, while another man is projected into a chair across from them (Room2Room places the projected image of a person into an open space, like a chair if they are captured in a seated position)."

Room2Room still has a number of challenges, such as its complex setup process and the fact that the images are currently projected in a low resolution. However, Microsoft Research says that with improvements in these and other areas, large companies could be using this technology in conference rooms in the next several years.

Source: MIT Technology Review

Scan objects using the Kinect sensor with Microsoft's 3D Scan app for Windows

rich.edmonds@futurenet.com (Rich Edmonds) — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 10:38:44 +0000

Microsoft has released a new app for Windows 10 called 3D Scan. As the name suggests, this new app enables owners of an Xbox One and a Windows 10-powered PC to scan 3D objects. Once said objects have been scanned, it's possible to use the resulting files in 3D Builder to create and print 3D models.

You'll need to utilize your Xbox Kinect sensor in order to be able to scan in objects. (No, that $15 webcam from Target will not play ball.) Interested to learn more? Head to Microsoft's website for more details on all things 3D.

Download 3D Scan for Windows 10

Via: WMPU

You can try on clothes on your TV with your Kinect-equipped Xbox One and The Mall shopping app

John Callaham — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 18:26:50 +0000

Xbox One owners now have a new option for buying things directly from the game console. The Mall shopping app recently launched, and it includes the unique feature of letting people try on virtual clothes and see how they look on the big screen before they buy them, if they also have the console's Kinect camera-sensor add-on.

Here's how The Mall app works:

"This next generation shopping experience is now available to the tens of millions of Xbox One users in the USA. It allows users to select a garment and try it on through Microsoft's Kinect motion tracking camera and The Mall's virtual wardrobe technology."

In addition, Xbox One users who also have an iOS or Android device can also purchase items on The Mall app via the PowaTag app:

"The revolutionary mobile payment app securely links your credit card and shipping details to the product on screen, allowing for a one-touch purchase. The platform completes the purchase using pre-entered information, meaning shoppers will not have to fill out long forms using their Xbox One controller each time they make a purchase."

The Mall app is currently available just for U.S Xbox One users but will expand to the UK and Canada in February 2016.

Source: 123Kinect

Here is Xbox Kinect on Windows 10 with Windows Hello

daniel@windowscentral.com (Daniel Rubino) — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 23:15:57 +0000

Late last week Microsoft released some early drivers for the Xbox One's Kinect to work on Windows 10. Kinect within Windows, for now, is mostly for developers to code and write things for the multi-usage sensor, but for consumers there is one thing you can do right now: Windows Hello for facial recognition with system logins.

We picked up the $50 conversion kit that Microsoft sells through their store and gave it a spin. Here are our quick thoughts and a hands-on video.

Here is what you need to know:

Windows Hello works very well
You cannot yet use Kinect as a web camera for Skype or any other Windows app
You will need a tripod or shelf to mount the Kinect if using it for your PC
You need a USB 3.0 port and some extra power in your PC
The Kinect still needs to plug into an AC outlet too
The wires are all very cumbersome

The bottom line is if you are not a developer Kinect for Windows 10 is still very much a novelty. Sure, you can use it for Windows Hello, and it works great, but you will have to spend some time hiding wires and finding someplace to stick the rather bulky accessory.

Seeing as Kinect on Windows 10 is still very new and only in an early release we hope to see it become more useful on Windows 10 going forward. However, it'll probably be some time before we see this being utilized in any standard sense. For developers, however, this is all very good news and should be exciting.

How to setup

You will need the following to make this work if you are still interested:

Kinect sensor from Xbox One or Kinect for Windows Developer Bundle ($199)
Kinect Adapter for Windows ($50) (Not need if buying the Developer Bundle)
Simple registry edits to enable the Kinect drivers to be downloaded

To modify the system registry, you need to add just a few subkeys as directed by Microsoft. No restart is needed. As always, heed caution when making changes in your system registry:

Open the Windows Registry Editor (regedit.exe).
Go to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\
Create subkeys \DriverFlighting\Partner\
Under \Partner subkey, create a string named "TargetRing" and key-in "Drivers" as the value.
Exit from the Windows Registry Editor. You do not need to restart the computer after this change.
Run the Windows Update application and check for updates, or in the Device Manager, right-click the target device and select Update Device Software.
Verify your test driver is offered as expected.

Once complete, you can then head to Settings to being using Windows Hello. Just read our simple guide on how to use Windows Hello.

How to set up Windows Hello facial recognition in Windows 10

The overall setup process is very easy, but as mentioned above usage scenarios for non-developers is limited at this time.

Any developers here using Kinect for Windows? Let us know what you are working on in comments!

You can now use Kinect and Windows Hello to sign in to Windows 10

daniel@windowscentral.com (Daniel Rubino) — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 15:36:52 +0000

Ever since Microsoft announced their Windows Hello biometric authentication program for Windows 10 people immediately asked about using the Kinect sensor. After all, Kinect already uses your face to sign you into the Xbox One making it patient zero of the Windows Hello paradigm. Unfortunately, for those using Kinect and Kinect for Windows there was no way to use the hardware for Windows Hello.

All of that is changing as Microsoft has finally created a beta driver that lets Windows 10 use Kinect for Windows v2 and Kinect for Xbox One use Windows Hello. The news came through an email to developers of Kinect who are part of the SDK and testing program where they announced the "public preview of Kinect support for Windows 10".

For now, you need to do some registry digging and hacking to let the OS download the new beta drivers for the feature. Microsoft has posted the instructions here and they are relatively short and sweet.

Once your PC has grabbed the driver you can read our tutorial on setting up Windows Hello for Windows 10:

How to set up Windows Hello facial recognition in Windows 10

It should be noted that if you are using your Kinect for Xbox One with your PC you do need to pick up a $50 cable and have it plugged into a USB 3.0 port (due to the power and bandwidth requirements). Alternatively, you can go all in for $199 and pick up the Kinect for Windows v2. That's about $100 more than the hard to acquire and always out of stock Intel F200, which is the only alternative third-party Windows Hello option at this time. (Note: Kinect for the Xbox 360 does not appear to be supported, sorry)

Needless to say this is a rather cool development and you have a spare Kinect laying around or want to rig your PC battle station to use this feature, now is your chance. Being the drivers are in development, there could be some hiccups, but Hello has come along quite a bit since the summertime.

Still need more? Stay tuned as we have a Kinect adapter headed our way and will to a how-to video and share with you how well it works.

Via: SuperSite for Windows, Mike Taulty's Blog, and @mikehole

Xbox One with Kinect Bundle and stand-alone Kinect sensor unit get promo price cuts

John Callaham — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 19:20:05 +0000

A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced that it would offer the Xbox One with Kinect bundle, with three free games, for $499 during the holiday season. Now the company has decided to cut the price of that bundle $100 to just $399 as a limited-time promotion.

The bundle still contains everything that Microsoft previously announced. It will have the 500GB version of the console, the Kinect motion sensor and codes to download three free games (Central Spotlight, Kinect Sports Rivals and Zoo Tycoon).

Order the Xbox One with Kinect bundle from the Microsoft Store for $399

In addition, the stand-alone Kinect sensor for the Xbox One also has a temporary discount down to $99, a savings of $50 from its normal $149 price tag. Microsoft has not announced when these promotional prices will end

Order Kinect for the Xbox One at the Microsoft Store for $99

Source: Major Nelson

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