Alright so technically it’s already usable in Windows thanks to hacks and third-party drivers, but the application is fairly limited, especially for Average Joe who has patience or desire to fiddle with settings. That will all change in the future however, as the motion sensor is coming to Windows PCs on an official level.
One could argue that the move is a no-brainer on behalf of Microsoft and therefore not really news, but this is the first time somebody from Microsoft has made an official statement on the matter.
Steve Ballmer, who we all know as the Chief Executive for Microsoft, has told the BBC that Microsoft will support PC Kinect in “a formal way in the right timeâ€.
It’s exciting news to be sure, especially considering how the current processing for Kinect games and applications is done by the Xbox 360 on fixed hardware. Apply the peripheral to a PC with far greater processing power and you’ve got a recipe for some really awesome applications. What’s more, future versions of Windows could support Kinect integration right out of the box, and that’s quite an appealing idea. There’s something rather exciting about using simple hand gestures to control the somewhat limited Kinect hub on an Xbox 360. Having the same on a Windows PC? Colour me interested.
Source: Game Informer
Last Updated: January 11, 2011
NiteFenix
January 11, 2011 at 10:30
Now that’s something I would definately be interested in getting. Not really a fan of the hubbub on Xbox, but the PC is a different story altogether. Imagine the possibilities.
Jarrod Lane
January 11, 2011 at 10:45
The only issue I see here is distance from Kinect. How close do most people sit to their pc’s?
Gavin Mannion
January 11, 2011 at 11:20
Imagine it not picking up your entire body but merely your hand or head gestures… sign language training application?
NiteFenix
January 11, 2011 at 11:49
I see the Jarrod’s point. For close proximity there’s no point, if you’re going to be sitting in front of the pc, you might as well use the keyboard and mouse.
This only has “distance” application.
Jarrod Lane
January 14, 2011 at 14:08
Also the Kinect only starts working once you pass the min distance where it can pick you up.