According to a listing on US Microsoft Sore, Kinect for Windows v2 is releasing on July 15 with Redmond already accepting pre-orders for the updated motion sensor.
The new Kinect for Windows has been built using the same set of technologies that go in its console counterpart and comes with some improved features including higher fidelity with an HD color camera, noise-isolating multi-microphone array, Microsoft’s proprietary Time-of-Flight technology and a new active infrared.
Kinect for Windows v2 packs a design that is similar to Kinect for Xbox One and would need a power supply as well as a hub to operate.
The updated motion is meant for developers to “develop interactive applications that recognize peoples’ natural movements, gestures, and voice commands”. However, developers need to keep in mind that the Kinect for Windows v2 doesn’t include Windows SDK 2.0 as its license is sold separately.
The July 15 release date was hinted back in early June, when a pre-order listing of the motion controller popped up on Microsoft store website. At the time, the listing mentioned a $199 price tag and the latest listing has no change in that indicating that Microsoft is not going to reduce the pricing of Kinect for Windows v2 anytime soon.
Kinect for Windows’ main competitor is Leap Motion which is a finely tuned hand motion sensor with a much less outlay.
