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Microsoft Kinect 2.0 Specifications Leak, Includes Support For USB 3.0
An anonymous reader writes "Whether or not you're an owner of Microsoft's Xbox 360, chances are you find the Kinect accessory intriguing, since you don't even need the company's console to use it. That's why there's so much excitement surrounding the console's successor, codenamed Durango: it will feature Kinect 2.0, the specifications for which allegedly leaked today. The new device will reportedly be able to track players with a height of one meter, feature a mode for both seated and standing players, detect hand states (such as open or closed), as well as extra and rotated joints. As for improved features, it will be able to supposedly track six rather than two active players, occluded joints, and sideways poses. This will all be possible thanks to an increased field of vision, 1920×1080 color stream, 512×424 depth stream, an added infrared stream, USB 3.0, and 60ms latency."
The goal behind including the Kinect 2 with every xbox 720 is for precisely that reason: game developers can't afford to devote much resources to Kinect 2 support because few people have them relative to the overall market (roughly a third of 360 owners). By including a Kinect 2 with every xbox 720, developers can rely on every gamer on that platform supporting Kinect 2. Suddenly what was an option can now be a requirement. We should actually see more innovation in this regard as a result.