It seems like every other week, some canny developer comes up with a new way to use Microsoft's motion-sensing Kinect peripheral to control a PC. In fact, pretty much the only thing missing is the seal of approval from the big-M.
However, according to the latest rumours, that might all be about to change. WinRumors is reporting that developers in Redmond are currently preparing an SDK and driver set that will bring full support for the peripheral to Windows. Sources suggest that an announcement will be made in the next few months and that the software could be included in an upcoming technical preview of the company's XNA Game Studio.
If these rumours are true, it would enable developers to craft better quality applications that make full use of the motion sensing tech. Considering the quality and breadth of uses that we've already seen teased by the community, official support could lead to some pretty exciting levels of interactivity.
Obviously these are only rumours for the time being, but all clues seem to point to official support becoming a reality in the near future. Within weeks of launching the peripheral, Microsoft reps went on record as saying that the peripheral's USB connection was left open 'by design'.
Then at CES last week, CEO Steve Ballmer told the BBC's Click programme that the company would introduce official Kinect support "in a formal way in the right time". There have even been hints that the next version of Windows would include some level of native support for the best-selling peripheral.
Every indication, then, suggests that official Kinect support for the PC is on the way. The only question that remains is when.
