Microsoft is reportedly launching Kinect for Windows v2 on July 15th

The Microsoft Store is accepting pre-orders of Kinect for Windows v2 sensors for $200, and is listing a July 15 release date. That’s the same day as Microsoft’s upcoming virtual training event, which aims to show developers how Kinect v2 enables speech, gesture, and human understanding in applications and experiences. Microsoft has previously said the device will launch before summer 2014. “The Kinect for Windows v2 sensor gives developers more of the precision, responsiveness, and intuitive capabilities they need to develop interactive voice and gesture-based applications for the Windows desktop and Windows Store,” reads the product’s overview on the site. 

Microsoft’s Kinect for Windows v2, may launch July 15 according a listing on the online Microsoft Store. The new Kinect was developed with a shared set of technologies as its console counterpart and features higher fidelity with an HD color camera and a noise-isolating multi-microphone array to filter ambient sounds. Microsoft’s proprietary Time-of-Flight technology, an expanded field of view, improved skeletal tracking and new active infrared are also integrated into the second version. Featuring a design is similar to that of the Kinect for Xbox One, the new sensor requires the power supply and a hub to operate, which supports three connections, including the sensor, USB 3.0 output to PC and power. Director of Kinect for Windows, Bob Heddle, revealed that the new-generation Kinect sensor was set to launch in 2014 shortly after Microsoft confirmed its existence the day of the Xbox One’s reveal. “Just as the new Kinect sensor will bring opportunities for revolutionizing gaming and entertainment, the new Kinect for Windows sensor will revolutionize computing experiences,” Heddle wrote at the time. We have reached out to Microsoft for confirmation.