Microsoft Kinect is back with new all-in-one TVs from Sky

Sky is resurrecting the original dream of Microsoft’s Kinect accessory next year. The UK satellite broadcaster announced its new Sky Glass TVs this morning, and the company has built a separate 4K camera that includes motion controls and gesture support. It even works in all games and has a social TV sharing feature built in partnership with Microsoft.

“By working with Microsoft, we are also developing a fantastic feature that allows us to watch TV together even though we are miles apart,” says Fraser Stirling, Product Manager at Sky. “It syncs your TV with other homes, with built-in video and chat, and you can choose content from the biggest channels, including Premier League games, movies and all your favorite entertainment.”

The social TV feature is exactly what Microsoft tried and failed to do with its Kinect accessory in 2013. The Xbox One launched with Kinect, and the console included an HDMI input port for accessing vendors. satellite TV like Sky and cable boxes. Microsoft had big plans for Xbox TV and even experimented with social features that let Xbox owners watch TV together. In the end, the Kinect bundle failed and the company backed down on all of its bold TV plans.

Sky’s Watch Together feature, built in partnership with Microsoft, will allow people to instantly see each other’s reactions. You can also pause, skip, and replay while you watch together. Where this camera gets really interesting is the motion controls and gesture support for gaming.

The games will be available on Sky Glass TVs that specifically support this new camera, including a Paw Patrol branded title and Fruit Ninja. The camera will also allow multiplayer games. “Pick your opponent, at home or in another household and play with your body movements or gesture control,” says Stirling. “Family games will never be the same again. “

Image: Sky

Sky is also investing heavily in voice commands for its Sky Glass televisions. “Hello, Sky” activates Sky’s voice commands, much like a digital assistant, and you can even use it to switch HDMI ports by saying “Sky, Xbox” to switch to an Xbox console if you have one connected. .

Everything sounds and looks a lot like Kinect. Microsoft had a big dream of taking over the living room with smart cameras and voice commands, and now Sky is trying to keep that dream alive.