Rumor: Next Xbox Launching With Kinect 2, So Accurate It Can Lip Read

Rumors for the next Xbox continue to appear online, and today Eurogamer have focused specifically on new Kinect hardware that might come with the new console.

Kinect 2 will, naturally, feature advanced motion tracking and voice recognition.  A developer source told Eurogamer that the device is so powerful it is capable of lip-reading, detecting the players emotional state and determining the position the player is facing. Likely an indication of fidelity rather than actual usage for the most part.

The current Kinect is limited by the Xbox 360's USB interface, which only allows a limited amount of data to be streamed to the console at any one time. Because of this, the device is locked at 30 frames per second, at a resolution of only 320x240. Kinect 2 won't have such limitations, says the source. High resolution data will be cabled straight to the processor and RAM.

It's hard to say when we can expect the console to launch, with some rumors stating fall 2012 and others fall 2013, and it's unlikely that we'll find out for sure until at least E3 next year.

According to one report, Microsoft plan to launch two versions of the next Xbox. One a cheaper "pared down" machine likened to a set-top box, which will act as a Kinect gaming portal. The second is a more expensive, fully featured machine aimed at hardcore gamers with an optical drive, hard drive and backwards compatibility. Kinect will be bundled with both SKU's, allowing developers to integrate it into any game from day one, guaranteeing that every console owner will have access to Kinect. It's said that development kits are already with major publishers.

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More