Microsoft recently removed the Kinect from the Xbox One package recently, but that doesn't mean it isn't an impressive device with other possible uses. The Microsoft store officially opened preoders for the Kinect for Windows V2 over the weekend, in advance of the July 15 release date.

The Kinect had problem as a gaming device, it never had a great game that got people involved, and if someone wants interactivity they would just buy a Wii. Not to mention it tacked 100 dollars on the the Xbox One price tag. But that doesn't mean it is not a useful device. PC developers have been having a field day modifying the original Kinect for various non-gaming purposes, as widespread as medicine to robotics.

The price is a bit steeper than expected though. When Microsoft pulled the Kinect out of the Xbox One, it dropped the price from $500 to $400. Many assumed the Kinect for Windows V2 would receive a $100 price sticker as a result.

Instead, Microsoft is selling the Kinect For Windows V2 for $200, probably because the company doesn't want to take a loss on the hardware, which is aimed at the hobbyist/developer/professional crowd instead of general consumers. But the $200 cost definitely prices the Kinect above what most people are willing to pay.

Developers have been calling out for reduced latency and improved finger tracking, and Microsoft has answered those requests with Kinect for Windows v2. The original Kinect has been used across a number of interactive art installations, hospitals, and even to control a four-story pipe organ.

The only problem with that approach is convincing developers it's worth their time. According to the product description in the Microsoft Store:

"The Kinect for Windows v2 sensor does not ship with any software. It is intended for use with the Kinect for Windows SDK 2.0 (licensed separately) and will operate only with applications developed for Kinect for Windows v2."

The original Kinect has found uses in everything from medicine to fitness to robotics, and this new iteration promises improvements across the board. It'll be interesting to see whether the Kinect v2 takes on new life, apart from its gaming origins. In the mean time watch this Kinect be used to play music and work the visualizer.