If the best gaming experience on the planet happens on desktop PCs, the best gaming experience is about to take a turn for the better.
Microsoft decided to release Kinect Adapter for Windows PC yesterday, bringing the motion sensor that caused so much commotion for Xbox One users to desktop users.
“On October 7, we introduced a standalone version of Kinect for Xbox One. We are extending the value for Xbox and Windows customers with the availability of the Kinect Adapter for Windows for $49.99 (USD). The Kinect Adapter is available in over two dozen countries and regions – rolling out later today – and will be available in a total of 41 in coming weeks,” Microsoft announced yesterday.
Microsoft’s charging $50 for the Kinect Adapter for PC, which will be an additional price on top of the $149 standalone Kinect motion sensor. A few videos around the Web show that the Kinect motion sensor, once paired via the new USB 3.0 dongle, utilizes gesture controls that allow you to transition between web pages, Powerpoint presentations, and so on.
In the same spirit, the Redmond company also released a Kinect SDK 2.0 free download for developers to get started with how they intend to integrate Kinect into the Windows PC experience. Of some of the possibilities we’ve seen, we favor the use of a stylus and hand experience whereby one can alternate between using the stylus and using the human hand to circle and underline words and concepts on-screen.
Microsoft released a Kinect-free Xbox One for $399 earlier this year, after the company’s Xbox One game console and Kinect motion sensor saw small sales when compared with that of its competitor, the Sony PlayStation 4. Microsoft originally sold the Kinect motion sensor as part of the Xbox One deal for $499, but many loyal Xbox 360 gamers complained that the price was too expensive and included a gaming tool (the Kinect motion sensor) that no one clamored for in the first place.
Despite lower sales than Sony’s PlayStation 4, Microsoft’s not done with its Xbox One game console or the Kinect motion sensor. Its integration with Windows PC demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to remaining on the cutting edge of game technology.
