Kinect update lets lazy Xbox 360 gamers take a seat

Kinect, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 motion-sensing unit that does away with traditional controllers in favour of using gesture and movement based commands, has been given a much-needed update just before its November release. A tweaked algorithm will now allow gamers to use the Kinect unit whilst sitting down, offering enthusiastic players a much needed respite after an energetic gaming session.

Until now, Kinect has had trouble following the movements of players as they played when seated. The camera unit tracks individual skeletal points in the player to replicate 1:1 movement onscreen, with the pelvis as the central focal point. However, when seated on a sofa, a players knees would overlap this point, confusing the sensor. This new update moves the focus point to the neck, seemingly solving the problem.

“It means that should the bottom of your torso get confused with the sofa, it doesn’t matter because your hands and arms are still working,” explained Blitz Games co-founder Andrew Oliver.

However, this update may come too late for the first batch of Kinect-enabled games, which may now require an update for seated gaming to work correctly.

Via: Eurogamer