Kinect for Xbox One coming to PC

According to Kinect program manager Scott Evans, Microsoft plans on bringing the new Kinect to PC.

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The new Kinect bundled with Xbox One won't be exclusive to that platform, Shacknews has learned. According to Kinect program manager Scott Evans, Microsoft plans on bringing the new Kinect to PC. "We will bring this to PC," he told us. "We will have more information soon."

While additional details have yet to be revealed, Microsoft did eventually release the current-gen Kinect on PC in early 2012, a little more than one year after the Xbox 360 release. While unconfirmed, it's likely that Kinect 2.0 (not its official name) will follow a similar pattern.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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  • reply
    May 21, 2013 6:15 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Kinect for Xbox One coming to PC.

    According to Kinect program manager Scott Evans, Microsoft plans on bringing the new Kinect to PC.

    • reply
      May 21, 2013 6:20 PM

      well then there really is no need to get a Xbone then, is there. The new kinect is the only part of the package that looked remotely interesting, especially since they got rid of the lag.

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        May 21, 2013 6:22 PM

        agreed!

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        May 21, 2013 6:44 PM

        yeah, seriously

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        May 21, 2013 6:46 PM

        eh i doubt game developers will make kinect games. its really meant for a living room

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          May 21, 2013 6:49 PM

          Oculus Rift + UDK + Kinect could make for some interesting indie titles

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          May 21, 2013 8:45 PM

          more room in my study than my loungeroom :(

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        May 21, 2013 7:00 PM

        Yes. You'll essentially be able to build a Windows 8 HTPC with a Kinect and... get this... CUSTOMIZE THE TILES SO YOUR START MENU ISN'T LOADED WITH BULLSHIT ADS. Also, you can stream video without needing Xbox Live Gold.

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      May 21, 2013 6:37 PM

      Crazy, heck MS may start to actually make PC games again, wouldn't that be something.

      One step at a time I guess.

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        May 21, 2013 6:50 PM

        Aren't they charging $250 for the PC version of Kinect currently?

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          May 21, 2013 11:55 PM

          Yes, despite the hardware being the same as the Xbox one. Only difference is firmware I think. You do get lots of nice developer resources with the Windows Kinect, though.

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        May 21, 2013 7:05 PM

        Actually, I asked them about that. We'll have a story on Shack soon, but the TL;DR version is "no." They're not going to be making AAA games on PC.

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          May 21, 2013 7:06 PM

          Then fuck them. And shame on them.

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          May 21, 2013 7:57 PM

          I love MS like hard core, cause I love their programming technology stuff etc, but this really pisses me off :( makes no bloody sense you can pimp the Xbpx and the PC together MOTHER FU......... chill V so much RAGE :( I will never understand this mentality of MS makes me want to hate them but I am not their yet.

          Thanks for the info Andrew, looking forward to it.

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          May 21, 2013 8:22 PM

          clearly a strategic move against sony gamers that own a pc

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          May 22, 2013 9:05 AM

          Not surprised. Making AAA games on the PC directly competes with the Xbox.

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          May 22, 2013 9:10 AM

          Going by previous experience, this means day one releases on PC for all titles

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        May 21, 2013 8:18 PM

        How is that crazy or a particular step in any direction? The current Kinect is available for PC at all, this just maintains the status quo.

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          May 21, 2013 8:30 PM

          For a new generation, there are a lot of things you simply can't take for granted. Like having a console that plays used games or doesn't require an online connection.

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            May 21, 2013 9:29 PM

            It has nothing to do with the console, the fact is that Kinect for PC is used in a bunch of projects including VR research. It would be shooting themselves in the foot if they didn't upgrade that unit as well.

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        May 21, 2013 8:30 PM

        theres already a kinect windows - its got a slightly wider angle for "near mode". This one seems way more usable though, hopefully it has improved in minimum distance too.

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      May 21, 2013 8:23 PM

      Question: Why?

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        May 21, 2013 8:32 PM

        did you not see any of the crazy stuff people did with Kinect on computers? A crazy hack was on tech blogs like every day for a month or two after the Kinect came out.

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          May 21, 2013 8:35 PM

          Nothing really came of that besides the crazy tech demos and hacks, though.

          MS eventually released official support and an SDK for Kinect on PC, but nothing of note ended up using it. Don't see why it would change at all this time around, especially when they themselves don't care about PC games.

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              May 21, 2013 8:54 PM

              So, which of those things have you experienced for yourself or would you buy a Kinect for Windows to experience? What Kinect test scenario listed there would be useful or beneficial for you on a PC?

              I also said nothing of note ended up using it and stand by that statement. Noteworthy enough to be utilized in the every day by regular folks at their PCs, as you have to be tethered to one after all. Forget games and what it was originally built for entirely, those stories are all fairly old and there's a reason you don't hear about any of them in the mainstream. They aren't noteworthy to most of us.

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                May 21, 2013 9:15 PM

                I didn't realize the only progress that counted was things that made consumers buy hardware. Plenty of those original hacks had nothing to do with stuff I would ever buy.

                The whole point of the original Kinect for Windows release taking awhile was not because there was going to be some big marketing push and games for PC users to buy that used it. It was to make sure there was a solid SDK and documentation for developers to use with the device and PC specific FOV adjustments.

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                  May 21, 2013 9:38 PM

                  Well they obviously want people to buy it, or they wouldn't spend the time and resources to create, manufacture, market, distribute, sell, and support a gadget like the Kinect for Windows.

                  Right now it feels like they are throwing it out there and hoping someone else turns it into a money maker for them, and it's just not happening. Most of the R&D was taken care of on the Xbox side so no big loss, but If they had something significant of their own they could use to help sell it to the masses on PC, they would, yeah? Of course they would.

                  I love the promise and potential of the device and the crazy applications people find for it, but I'm still waiting for the noteworthy thing that actually gets a regular person like you and me, our friends or family to buy and use one. And I don't see it happening.

                  They have plenty of money to burn so it doesn't really matter if it's successful or not, but it seems like it could be much more than it has been for everyone, beyond the relatively few specific use cases and hacks that folks have found for it.

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                    May 22, 2013 12:11 AM

                    Well they obviously want people to buy it, or they wouldn't spend the time and resources to create, manufacture, market, distribute, sell, and support a gadget like the Kinect for Windows.

                    I'm not sure why you think this is the case. Why is it obvious that because Kinect for Windows exists, its intent is to be a mass market consumer device? Where is the marketing to consumers exactly? There's certainly no shortage for it on the Xbox, but I don't see any for consumer PC uses. Where's the distribution? Do you see it on the shelves at Best Buy? Or do you only see it for the Xbox? The marketing materials I actually see are quite the opposite. From the Kinect Accelerator page I linked before:

                    Microsoft released the Kinect for Windows in February 2012 providing a commercial license to allow companies to build Kinect based solutions and distribute them with a Kinect. Now, the dreams of what you could do with Kinect could become the latest wave of entrepreneurial innovation with startups that are building businesses around Kinect. And the Kinect Accelerator proved the point with 11 new companies, many already half way through their financing rounds, beginning their journey with their presentations at the two Demo Days. These companies have product, investors, development teams, distribution channels and customers. The Kinect is Open for Business.

                    So I'm not sure why you think this is intended as some mass market PC device right now. It's a full body skeletal tracking system. What use does that serve at a desk? It didn't have the fidelity and latency for great finger tracking, which would be useful at a desk. Meanwhile it has a number of useful applications in industry, as noted.

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        May 21, 2013 8:50 PM

        Why the fuck not? Total body and head track + oculus rift sound sweet to me.

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        May 21, 2013 8:54 PM

        To access your cable box of course.

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        May 21, 2013 9:04 PM

        honestly i think the things they're doing with kinect are going to have ramifications in all of computing / UI, not just gaming. it might be shitty for games even, but the tech is fucking excellent and the responsiveness and sensitivity of the thing would have been darpa-grade like 10, 15 years ago.

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          May 21, 2013 9:14 PM

          The responsiveness, sensitivity, definition, and latency is why people don't care for it right now though and why it's kind of shitty for games. The new one is going to be better, but it's not going to make any big waves for the average user. At best it will be more in line with the promises and hype they drummed up for the first one.

          Something like the Leap Motion seems to have far more practical use in computing and UI navigation. https://www.leapmotion.com/

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            May 21, 2013 9:17 PM

            i was referring to the demonstrated one, the new one. the current version definitely has severe drawbacks.

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        May 21, 2013 9:08 PM

        better question: why not
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWmVrfjDCyw

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      May 21, 2013 8:49 PM

      That's pretty cool.

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      May 21, 2013 10:18 PM

      i'd still rather have a steambox.

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      May 21, 2013 11:14 PM

      Zero interest in them doing so. Checked with at least 10 other PC gamers and same thing from then. No one cares. It's a nice thought, though, MS.

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        May 21, 2013 11:15 PM

        well, okay. i mean, they were going to launch it. but 11 PC gamers said they weren't interested. so you know, it's over.

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        May 22, 2013 12:12 AM

        keep us updated on any other things that you find people aren't interested in after previously being uninterested in them

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          May 22, 2013 4:34 AM

          Will do. But regardless of whether or not I tapped into simplistic anecdotes, this very same extremely informal test group that I usually question has proven surprisingly accurate in terms of predictive results.

          This is fairly obviously a case of a company thinking that its customers were clamoring for something that they were not, at all.

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            May 22, 2013 7:14 AM

            I dunno, 2 genuine, active, mostly smart guys in the office seemed utterly blindsided by 'new and shiny' and both ragged on the PS4 in the office today. I was expecting universal meh from people but yeah - not the case, maybe Joe gamer is really impressed?

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              May 22, 2013 9:03 AM

              How did they rag on the PS4? It's not that different from the One, most of it's media features are similar, and it's power is similar.

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                May 22, 2013 9:20 AM

                They just described how boring it sounds :/

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      May 22, 2013 7:10 AM

      Keep that shit on the shitbox one... don't bring your fail hardware to pc gaming please don't fuck over console and pc gamers.

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