If there's one thing core gamers have been skeptical about with regard to the Xbox One, it's the built-in Kinect functionality. A new video from Microsoft research shows off all the ways in which Kinect 2.0 fulfills the promises made before the launch of the original peripheral.
The detailed footage shows off how the Kinect team tracks a user's skeleton, body orientation, musculature, and heart rate. With the announcement of Xbox Fitness, these are important features.
Take a look and let us know what you think.
Our Take
Let's be honest. Kinect as a tool for gaming probably still isn't precise enough to compensate for the lack of tactile feedback. Kinect as a companion for other Xbox One experiences has great potential, though.
The Xbox Fitness offerings seemed great on announcement, but actually seeing a Kinect demonstration like the one above makes all the difference. I might still flinch when a game carries the "Better with Kinect" banner, but that doesn't mean the device doesn't have value.