Kinect for Windows to get Windows 8 support, coming Oct 8

Microsoft is ensuring that no platform gets left out of getting a share of its latest Windows 8 OS. Now the company has release a fall update to its Kinect for Windows roadmap.

The announcement came via a September 4 blog post which stated that an SDK update will release on October 8. Here's a look at the key highlights that the update will bring:

1. For businesses: Expanded sensor data access--including color camera settings and extended depth data
2. For developers: More tools and samples, such as "a new sample that demonstrates a 'best in class' UI based on the Kinect for Windows Human Interface Guidelines"
3. For customers: Support for Windows 8 desktop applications, Microsoft .NET 4.5, and Microsoft Visual Studio 2012.

The Kinect for Windows sensor looks pretty similar to the Kinect for Xbox sensor except that the former is designed to work with Windows 7 and Windows 8 compatible PCs. Further, Kinect depth camera for the Windows version has been modified to see objects that are as close as 50 centimeters in front of the device.

The software giant also has plans to expand Kinect for Windows into other regions in addition to its original launch in 27 markets. On October 8, Kinect for Windows will be available in China. "Later this fall" Microsoft will make Kinect for Windows available in six other markets: Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, and Poland.

Microsoft had announced the Kinect for Windows sensor in India last month. Priced at Rs. 19, 990, Kinect for Windows consists of the Kinect for Windows hardware and Kinect for Windows SDK, which supports applications built with C++, C#, or Visual Basic by using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010.