At BUILD in April, we told the world that the Kinect for Windows v2 sensor and SDK would be coming this summer, and with them, the ability for developers to start creating Windows Store apps with Kinect for the first time. Well here in Redmond, Washington, it’s not summer yet. But today we are pleased to announce that developers can pre-order the Kinect for Windows v2 sensor. Developers who take advantage of this pre-order option will be able to start building solutions ahead of the general public.
Sensors purchased during the pre-order phase will be shipped in July, at which time we will also release a public beta of our software development kit (SDK). All of this will happen a few months ahead of general availability of sensors and the SDK, giving pre-order customers a head start on using the v2 sensor’s new and improved features, including increased depth-sensing capabilities, full 1080p video, improved skeletal tracking, and enhanced infrared technology.
Thousands of developers wanted to take part in our Developer Preview program but were unable to do so—in fact, we’re still receiving requests from all around the world. So for these and other developers who are eager to start using the Kinect for Windows v2, the pre-order option offers access to the new sensor ahead of general availability. Bear in mind, however, that we have limited quantities of pre-order sensors, so order while supplies last.
The v2 sensors will also be shipped in July to those who participated in the Developer Preview program. For these early adopters, it’s been an amazing six months: we’ve seen more stunning designs, promising prototypes, and early apps than we can count—from finger tracking to touch-free controls for assembly line workers to tools for monitoring the environment. At BUILD, we showed you what
Reflexion Health and
Freak’n Genius were able to achieve with the v2 sensor in just a matter of weeks. And in July, when the sensor and SDK are more broadly available, we can only imagine what’s next.
Kinect for Windows will continue to feature more innovative uses of the v2 technology on this blog in the coming months. As Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Chief Evangelist Steven Guggenheimer notes, “I love what the Kinect sensor and SDK can do. Getting the v2 sensor into the hands of more developers and getting the SDK more widely available is the next step.”
We are committed to a future where humans and technology can interact more seamlessly—in the living room, on their PCs, and beyond.
—The Kinect for Windows Team
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