New version of Kinect unveiled for Windows PCs

Adds a power cable, does away with the Xbox logo
Microsoft has unveiled the final design of the PC-compatible version of Xbox One's Kinect sensor, via the Kinect for Windows blog. In a dramatic twist, it looks a lot like the original.

Kinect for Windows Version 2 eschews the Xbox One power sign in favour of a simple light, and comes with a separate USB wire and power cable - you'll have to plug it into the mains, rather than running it through your PC, presumably because most PC USB connections don't supply enough juice. Check out the snaps. Is your living room Kinect getting envious? There's no launch date yet.

Kinect Screenshots
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The release of a new PC Kinect sensor won't directly concern console players, of course, but the long-term payoff could be more indie Kinect games for Xbox One, created on PC and published via the ID@Xbox program - games like Iridium's There Came An Echo, a real-time squad tactics game that makes extensive use of voice control.

Encouragingly, Unity Technologies CEO David Helgason has said that Kinect is a "particular focus" of the forthcoming Unity Xbox One toolset. For more on Microsoft's ID@Xbox strategy, read my interview with program director Chris Charla.

that also means we could get kinect games on steam as well hooray for the kiddos