Ample Space Needed To Operate Kinect

Ample Space Needed To Operate Kinect

Clear the room...

Written by KeithBGray on 06 November 10 at 17:29 | Credit to QuiCkz AleX

Had you considered the new Kinect device as a must-have purchase? If so, listen up, because you may want to give it just a little more consideration...

The amount of free space which is required for the Kinect device to operate effectively was examined in independent tests carried out by Kotaku and Joystiq recently. And their findings don't give much to be positive about. I have highlighted their opinions to give a taste of what to expect if you do indeed decide to purchase the Kinect device.

Kotaku's Stephen Totilo explained:

...That set-up, which required no moving of furniture had me standing under seven feet from the Kinect... I was barely at an acceptable distance for Kinect Sports...

...That range didn't leave me enough room to play two-person, same-room games on Kinect nor to try more heart-racing experiences like the workout game Your Shape: Fitness.
The issue sounds even worse judging by the comments of Kotaku's Brian Crecente:

I thought... I'd have plenty of space, but it turns out that the front of my couch is only about 8 1/2 feet from the television. That may sound like a lot of space... but Kinect wasn't always thrilled with what it had to work with...Joystiq's Randy Nelson continues the bleak theme:

Kinect demands a lot of space.

I have to put this bluntly: If you don't have at least 8 feet of unobstructed space between where you plan to place the sensor and the limit of how far back you can stand, Kinect will just not work right.
Overall, it doesn't sound good!

The issues detailed in these tests are likely to cause even more problems for those gamers who wish to use the Kinect device for multiplayer/family gaming. Due to multiplayer gaming with the Kinect device requiring an additional 2-3ft of free space to play.

So, unless you are fortunate enough to have a massive area of floor space in which to use your console, you are likely to become rather frustrated with your new gadget!

You've been warned...
AuthorMessage
Caxton8
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Caxton8 - Its What We Do In Life, That Echoes In Eternity
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Last post: 05 Oct 12 at 19:18
Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:32
well in my room I have about 7 1/2 foot worth of space, the video on xbox live said I needed at least 6 foot for single player games so I guess it will have to do. Hope it's enough to play the games :/
SoiledDoughnut - So the Xbox One will not be backwards compatible - disappointing.
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Last post: Yesterday at 10:48
Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:33
Ooo... I may have to reconsider purchasing then... I don't have anywhere near 8 feet of space
TheVacantThrone - There's blood on the walls, blood on the walls, and it seems so unreal.
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Last post: 17 May at 13:41
Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:33
Damn, that's me not getting in then. There's nowhere near enough space where i live for that.
Aki2403
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Aki2403
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Last post: 24 Sep 12 at 20:11
Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:35
Just measured my front room, I only have nine feet, I think I'll give Kinect a miss after all.
It's kind of a shame since I wanted to get this for the kids. Maybe they'll improve things in later updates/versions?
Tyrannikos
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Tyrannikos - Artorias of the Abyss for Dark Souls - Winner/10
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Last post: Yesterday at 22:51
Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:35
For some reason, I thought this was mentioned way back when when Project Natal was finally revealed officially as Kinect...

Seriously though, I'm now wondering how my friends and I have known this for months if this news is just getting out...
Neverendless run. Mana du vortes, aeria gloriis.
HucBerCranPerry - The last of us: paranoia and despair in paradise looks pretty good
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Last post: 16 Mar at 16:55
Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:36
that isnt bad being that i have a whole room in my house dedicated to gaming,
Richard Bastion - has reached a new milestone: made 1 fake milestone
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Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:36
Well, dawg, luckily for mizzle, I wasn't planning on getting Kinect anyway. There's not much room in my pimp pad, I got too many women surrounding me to have more than 6 feet of space between me and my Kinect.
adiash73
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Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:37
I was wondering that, the other thing that concerned me was how much ambient light there needs to be in the room your playing in.
Tyrannikos
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Tyrannikos - Artorias of the Abyss for Dark Souls - Winner/10
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Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:37
Richard Bastion said:Well, dawg, luckily for mizzle, I wasn't planning on getting Kinect anyway. There's not much room in my pimp pad, I got too many women surrounding me to have more than 6 feet of space between me and my Kinect.You made me choke on my water. :[
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Spilner
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Spilner - The one thing i was after, backwards compatibility, isnt included so no sale for me
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Last post: 22 Jan at 09:39
Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:39
adiash73 said:I was wondering that, the other thing that concerned me was how much ambient light there needs to be in the room your playing in.I can play it in the dark with only the TV's light illuminating me if that helps wink
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crewdy4923
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Last post: 04 Jan at 11:57
Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:40
I've seen people use it from ~6 ft and it worked fine and looked exceptionally responsive. 8-10 ft is just silly, I don't know anyone who has that much visibly empty space anywhere in their house, unless you count the hallways >__>
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Fluster Zero
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Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:43
question, who has a room that is completely open in their house aside from rich kids? Answer: only rich kids. Thats why it's so expensive, because it sucks. I still want the dashboard to work to... Mine takes about 2 minutes to load on xbox start up, doesn't auto sign me in, doesn't auto start disc like it could before. Also to check achievements it takes about a minute 40 seconds for my game page to close, when I want to open it again 1 minute and 40 damn seconds again... anyone else having this problem, damn kinect
Shinwasha
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Last post: Yesterday at 23:55
Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:43
I got 10 ft available and I live in a camping trailer. Don't see how people don't have space available. A foot isn't really that big.
JaggyTT
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Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:44
My kids biatch to me about getting it but sod that, I got better things to spend £130+ on. Told the buggers as soon as hell freeze`s over they can have one :). Ya gota love 17 yr old kids that would rather stay their lazy arse`s in School (6th form ) than get out and get a job so they can buy silly things like that lol.....
SebastianSB
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Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:45, Edited on 06 November 10 at 17:46 by SebastianSB
I barely have enough room for a drum kit, let alone 6-8 feet.

Fluster Zero said:question, who has a room that is completely open in their house aside from rich kids? Answer: only rich kids. Thats why it's so expensive, because it sucks. I still want the dashboard to work to... Mine takes about 2 minutes to load on xbox start up, doesn't auto sign me in, doesn't auto start disc like it could before. Also to check achievements it takes about a minute 40 seconds for my game page to close, when I want to open it again 1 minute and 40 damn seconds again... anyone else having this problem, damn kinectI've had the opposite situation. Everything seems much faster and more responsive ever since the update.
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DavieMarshall
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Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:48, Edited on 06 November 10 at 17:50 by DavieMarshall
This won't work in my bedroom then. My living room is huge though as its twinned with an open plan kitchen, but I don't want to move my Xbox as then I'll have to bargain time to play versus the girlfriend watching soaps on TV.
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Shin Gatsurai
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Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:52
I have a 7x12 foot room so I ain't touching this.
Ev3rything I Am - I'm finally done with Beast Medals now on to Campaign.
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Last post: 27 Sep 12 at 11:14
Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:53
Agreed I had about 6 feet to work with then I moved my furniture back to about 8-10 feet of room and space was still hard to work with. When you are 6-8 feet from your Kinect you still need to move your furniture another 2 or so feet so you have space behind you. I'm sure a lot of people don't have enough space for example if your T.V. is in front of your bed and you sit on your bed to game and your bed is only about 4 feet from the sensor you can't move your bed very well.
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Darth Waya
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Last post: 13 Mar 12 at 14:49
Posted on 06 November 10 at 17:59
I will have to disagree with those opinions. I have a less than ideal space for playing in,(specifically a small mobile home) and it does work for me. If you have room to use a full Rock Band set, you will have room for Kinect. And yes, my wife and I have used both multiplayer aspects as well as Your Shape Fitness Evolved.