As well as delivering plenty of insight into its upcoming Xbox One console along with some of the many launch titles set to be available when the November release date arrives, Microsoft has been doing a pretty stellar job of talking up the next-gen Kinect, which will ship with each and every newly-purchased Xbox One. We’ve already seen some of the many powerful features on offer with the new device, including the ability to recognize two different voices when they’re talking at the same time, and and an intriguing new video clip offers perhaps the most vicarious look yet through the eye of the sensor.
The Xbox 360’s eventual triumph over the PlayStation 3 in the so-called "console war" was largely attributable to the first-gen Kinect, which launched in 2010 to much critical acclaim. However, there was a genuine feeling prior to its release that the Kinect would be a lot more versatile and just generally just better than it eventually turned out to be, and whilst it is rather difficult not to get just a bit excited about this clearly much-improved effort, we’ll definitely be reserving judgment until we’ve had a chance to interact for ourselves.
Microsoft’s decision to force every consumer to purchase Kinect along with the Xbox One could possibly backfire. After all, the inclusion of the sensor as standard has driven up the price to a more-than-noteworthy $100 more than the PlayStation 4, and with the gaming world often seen as one of price elasticity, it will be interesting to see whether these showy-offy videos of the Kinect in action will be enough to nudge those currently perched upon the proverbial fence.
One thing is for certain, Kinect 2.0 is very much about the general entertainment, as opposed to being a mere peripheral to the gaming faithful, and with so much apparent functionality, it will be a treat to see whether Kinect can revolutionize the set-top, entertainment market, as well as the gaming world.
Still, until we can actually try out Xbox One + Kinect 2.0 for real, we’ll have to make do with rather insightful clips such as the one below. It’s only two minutes long, so be sure to give it a watch, and feel free to leave your thoughts and comments via the usual mediums!
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