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Will Kinect be built into next-gen TVs?

You might not need a separate console to play Kinect in the future, as Microsoft wants to build it into sets, according to a report.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
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Joe Svetlik
2 min read

Microsoft is looking at building motion-controlled gaming tech into TV sets in the future, The Daily reports.

Sources have revealed the gaming behemoth wants to push Kinect into as many lounges as possible, and is in talks with major companies regarding doing away with the standalone console altogether, and integrating it into TVs.

Among those Microsoft is said to be talking to are Vizio and Sony. Yes, Sony -- the very same company that makes the PS3, probably the Xbox's biggest competitor. Sony would maybe license the technology for some kind of other uses (gesture-controlled channel changing, perhaps), but the day Sony starts selling Xbox-enabled TVs is the day we'll eat our hats while watching flying pigs soar above a frozen-over hell.

As well as gesture controls, a Kinect-enabled TV could recognise who's sitting in front of it, and remember preferences, favourite channels, volume settings, and even what you were watching last, so you could pick up where you left off.

While we're not sure how much truth there is in the rumours, the potential is pretty flabbergasting. It doesn't sound a million miles away from Apple's rumoured upcoming TV, which is said to pack Siri for voice-activated controls. Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson he was working on an integrated Apple TV that would have "the simplest user interface you could imagine." He added, "I finally cracked it."

Yesterday, word also came that Kinect would be coming to Windows PCs early next year, adding to rumours Microsoft wants to push the technology. Before it's only been hackers who've been able to get Kinect working on PCs, though Steve Ballmer did mention it back at CES in January.

Would you want Kinect built into your TV? And would you want it for gaming or predominantly for controlling the TV? Let us know below or over on our Facebook page.