Laptops with built-in Kinect sensors coming - report

By Fred Dutton Published 27 January, 2012

Asus working with Microsoft on all-in-one hardware.

PC manufacturer Asus is reportedly collaborating with Microsoft on a new laptop featuring a built-in Kinect sensor.

Following news earlier this month that Microsoft is readying a PC Kinect SKU, The Daily claims to have seen prototypes of Windows 8-enabled Asus netbooks sporting a number of small sensors lined up above the screen.

Its source at Microsoft allegedly confirmed that said laptops did indeed feature Kinect functionality built in.

The report adds that it's unlikely Microsoft will make its own Kinect laptops in-house, instead choosing to license out the tech to third parties.

As revealed at the CES show in Las Vegas in early January, the standalone PC Kinect for Windows unit launches in the US on 1st February, priced at $249.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 4 months ago

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  • FatalHybrid #1 4 months ago

    Last time I used Kinect it needed me to stand a pretty long distance from it before I was in the optimal spot. Typically when I'm on a laptop or a desktop for that matter I'm like 3ft from the screen, how is Kinect going to work for me at that distance?

  • Street89 #2 4 months ago

    @FatalHybrid if you read about the pc kinect, the reason it costs more is it works at shorter distances from the user.

  • FatalHybrid #3 4 months ago

    @Street89 Ah that I didn't know. That is the last time I post about Kinect before reading up on the PC version. Gonna do some research now.

  • Zozzilla #4 4 months ago

    This will make people consider how much of a twat they're gonna look, jumping and waving around on a train while playing on their laptops.

  • Atolm #5 4 months ago

    What the hell is the point of having Kinect on a laptop when indeed, a touchscreen would have been that much more appropriate, not to mention it will undoubtedly be much more precise too.

  • Timotei #6 4 months ago

    @Street89 No, the reason it costs more is because it isn't subsidised.

  • Bander #7 4 months ago

    Having now played Fruit Ninja FX (huge touchscreen) this week, and Fruit Ninja Kinect, I have to say that the Kinect game is the better experience, and faster to use even if its input lag disadvantage is taken into account.

    I suppose one of the reasons why is because touchscreens mean the screen gets obscured. Also, the big swipes burned my fingertips a bit.

    Question is, both Kinect and touchscreens have a bit of a problem replicating the difference between a mouse-over and a mouse-click. I wonder if a near-focus version of Kinect would be better at solving that than the 360 version? I suppose if the laptop keyboard is right there in front of the user anyway, it's no trouble to just press a button with a spare hand.

  • funkateer #8 4 months ago

    It's a cool novelty that I doubt I'd pay for.

  • makariel #9 4 months ago

    I'm about to get a new laptop soon-ish. If I happen to have too much disposable income at the point the kinect-laptops come out something to consider...

  • man.the.king #10 4 months ago

    2013: Calling Customer Service after having used a Kinect laptop:

    For switching windows, instead of using Alt-Tab, I tried waving my hand from side to side - ended up slapping my Laptop and knocking it to the ground :)

  • smelly #11 4 months ago

    Im still waiting for kinect to do the stuff which milo promised it could do...

    Because at the moment all i see is eye toy games.

  • el_pollo_diablo #12 4 months ago

    But laptops have had webcams in them for years?

    /giggles

  • smelly #13 4 months ago

    but now they can have 2.

  • Doctor_What #14 4 months ago

    So... We could have a big wavey gesture with our hands, or we could install a tiny plugin for Firefox that gives us mouse gestures that allows us tiny finger movements for extra browser features... Given the option, I know where I'd bet my money, but I've always been a rubbish gambler.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #15 4 months ago

    ASUS already make their own Kinect type device, out of the same Primesense sensors MS use.

    http://www.asus.com/Multimedia/Motion_Sensor/Xtion_PRO_LIVE/

    Of course, it'd stand to reason if they could make it compatible with MS official kinect support, then if would be much less of a worthless waste of time.

  • Trigg3rHippie #16 4 months ago

    The idea is good. Now it needs a proper support. And by that I don't mean a bunch of stupid games for casuals. There is a potential there.
    Edited by Trigg3rHippie at 28/01/12 @ 00:30

  • NathanMc2 #17 4 months ago

    What on earth is the point of having kinect for laptops n pc's? Just another useless gimmick. This just doesnt sound right. So we're supposed to keep waving our heads n hands while the laptop is only some centimeters away from our hands?

  • natureboy #18 4 months ago

    Good idea as long as the price stays the same

  • havoc2011 #19 4 months ago

    I still think I'd rather use a mouse/keyboard or controller than waving my arms around like a bellend in front of my screen. What is the big attraction with Kinect?

  • HeNiCiDe1988 #20 4 months ago

    @FatalHybrid it will actually work a lot better close distances I reckon

  • HeNiCiDe1988 #21 4 months ago

    Finally Microsoft starting to use it properly, kinect being assimiluated with laptops and pcs will give them a fuck load of money.

  • samezac #22 4 months ago

    lol kinect is a copy of ps2's eye-toy sony need to bring out eye-toy 2 :-)

  • dirtysteve #23 4 months ago

    @Atolm Microsoft need to promote Kinect, desperately. They're insisting it's hear to stay, despite the overwhelming meh-ness of it.
    Edited by dirtysteve at 29/01/12 @ 02:40