Nyko Zoom clings to Kinect in August

"You are the controller," Microsoft's ad campaign for Kinect claims. However, pay attention to all those advertisements: everyone in those commercials have gigantic living rooms. Gamers that live in a more confined space may find it impossible to use the camera peripheral. According to Microsoft, you'll need at least six feet of space in front of the TV to use the device. However, Popular Science notes that this is "the bare minimum" and, in practice, requires eight feet of space to properly enjoy.

Nyko is attempting to address this issue with its Zoom peripheral, a clip-on lens that attaches to the face of the Kinect sensor. According to the press release, the Zoom will let Kinect operate with "40% less space." If the math holds true, it should theoretically work with only five feet of space. That should, hopefully, make Kinect a bit more palpable, especially for Asian video game bloggers that live in an apartment in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Without testing it, it's hard to substantiate Nyko's claims. However, if you have an unused Kinect camera lying in a box collecting dust because you don't have the space this use it, the Zoom might be a worthwhile investment. It will be available on August 23rd for $29.99.