More than three months after Microsoft announced its “Kinect-less” Xbox One model, the company has finally revealed the details behind the standalone Kinect. The controversial sensor, which will be compatible only with the Xbox One (not the Xbox 360 or PC), will go on sale in October for $149.99.
Microsoft revealed this week that the Xbox One’s Kinect sensor consumes a small amount of the console’s primary resources in order to operate, and that ditching the accessory can give optimized games a performance boost of up to 10 percent.
Microsoft continues to trail the PS4 in worldwide sales, and is introducing some major changes to the Xbox One that it hopes will narrow the gap. Starting in June, the company will launch a $399 version of the console without Kinect, expand Games with Gold, and decouple entertainment apps like Netflix from an Xbox Live Gold subscription.
An Xbox One setup guide detailing placement options for Kinect 2.0 has leaked out of Brazil. According to the guide, the new Kinect will have to be positioned with limitations similar to its predecessor, but the device’s enhanced cameras and sensors will provide a much larger interaction area.
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As the launch of the Xbox One draws closer, Microsoft has continued to reveal bits of information about the next generation console. On Monday, the company announced that the new Kinect sensor can track two users’ voices simultaneously and that gamers will be able to record and upload video commentary of their gameplay clips.
Here’s a win for privacy advocates: Microsoft confirmed this week that the Xbox One will still continue to function without the included, and heretofore understood to be mandatory, Kinect sensor. The revelation came as part of IGN’s weekly “Ask Microsoft Anything About Xbox One” Q&A session: Xbox One is designed to work with Kinect plugged in…That said, like online, the console will still function if Kinect isn’t plugged in, although you won’t be able to use any feature or experience…
When Microsoft first revealed its Kinect motion and voice control device in late 2010, Xbox 360 owners responded positively, purchasing over 10 million of the add-on devices in less than 4 months and making it the fastest-selling consumer electronics device in history at the time. But when Microsoft brought the device to Windows in early 2012, the response was far less enthusiastic. The initial hype surrounding the Kinect had by then died down, and, although it sold Kinect for Windows…
Microsoft’s proof-of-concept “IllumiRoom” system has the potential to drastically alter the way that consumers play games and watch movies in their homes. The immersive technology, first showcased at CES in January, uses a combination of cameras and projectors to expand a television’s content into a user’s living room. The company has just released a new detailed demonstration video that hints at Redmond’s plans for the next Xbox, set to be unveiled on May 21. While still early in its development,…
Following Microsoft’s confirmation that the next Xbox will be unveiled on May 21, Redmond-watcher Paul Thurrott revealed Thursday what users can expect from the next console, codenamed “Durango.” Windows 8 Core The next Xbox will be based on Windows 8, which is not surprising considering Microsoft’s desire to unify its platforms with a common operating system. Many are hopeful that sharing a common underlying OS means that developers will have an easy way to port their Metro-style apps to the…