How Kinect Could Save Split-Screen Gaming

Not to be outdone by the dozens of cool ideas hackers have invented using Kinect, Microsoft Research has been showing off some prototypes of their own. First there was the news of new face-scanning technology, and now there’s a potential solution for split-screen gaming.

No one really likes to split a TV screen four ways anymore, even if there’s nothing more fun than a couch full of friends playing games. But what if you could all play together and each have an entire screen dedicated to yourself? That’s just one of the many applications of some new tech Microsoft Research is working on.

In this video, Steven Bathiche shows how their so-called “wedge” lens technology could revolutionize everything from touch displays to 3D, head-tracking, and of course, split-screen gaming:

The real kicker here is the combination of Kinect with the technology. Once the players are in view, no matter where they sit on the couch, the Kinect will track them and make sure they’re only seeing their own gameplay. Pretty amazing if you ask me.

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