Earlier this week, Microsoft confirmed that the new Kinect hardware that will be a part of the Xbox One game console will be released for Windows as well but no other details were revealed. Today, Microsoft confirmed that the updated Kinect hardware will be made available for Windows users sometime in 2014.
In a post on the Kinect for Windows blog, Microsoft stated:
Both the new Kinect sensor and the new Kinect for Windows sensor are being built on a shared set of technologies. Just as the new Kinect sensor will bring opportunities for revolutionizing gaming and entertainment, the new Kinect for Windows sensor will revolutionize computing experiences. The precision and intuitive responsiveness that the new platform provides will accelerate the development of voice and gesture experiences on computers.
The blog also goes into some details about what the new Kinect for Windows hardware will be like. Microsoft says it will have a new HD color camera along with a new microphone that's been made to recognize human voices in crowded rooms. The sensor will also have a larger field of view that will allow for less customization of rooms in order for the Kinect to work.
The new sensor has better skeletal tracking, according to Microsoft, which will allow it to track six skeletons at once, along with being able to track more individual points on a human body, such as the tip of the hand and thumb. Finally, the new active infrared hardware will allow the new Kinect for Windows device to work in almost any lighting condition.
Microsoft is promising to show off more of what the new Kinect for Windows hardware can do during the BUILD 2013 developer conference in late June.
Source: Microsoft | Image via Microsoft
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