Sorry Windows 7 Users NO Kinect 4 Windows Version 2 For YOU!

[chef 3746]

Just read this on the Main Kinect For WIndows Site, thought just in case anyone was think about buying the new K4W Sensor, there  is nothing mentioned on the main site as of yet. You must be running Windows 8.1 to use the Sensor.

 

This is a quote from a Microsoft MVP:

 

 

 

 

 

Kinect for Windows v2 needs the bandwidth provided by USB 3 in order to support the HD color feed, depth feed, audio, etc.... USB 3 support on Windows 8 is of a much greater quality than Windows 7; (I'm not the one who can speak to this in the most detail).

 

 

 

Manditory Software upgrade. I am about to cry a little    

[trooper11 63]

Well its not the worst thing in the world.  I do agree that it sucks if you were only using pcs with Windows 7.  Thankfully, 8.1 and the upcoming 9 next year aren't bad upgrade options.  8 would have been much harder to handle.

 

Of course, you could just dual boot or build a virtual pc within 7 and use it that way.

 

As far as the USB 3.0 support, it is technically true that 8.1+ has much better native support for 3 than 7 does, which requires a 3rd party driver to enable 3.0 support.  I'm not sure if that has resulted in better or more consistent 3.0 performance, but it does mean less chances of issues when installing 3rd party drivers.  I suppose its possible that the new Kinect needs a reliable connection to function up to its potential and they found Win 7 based pc lacking through testing.

 

 At this point though, its hard to say definitively without more information.