Is Illumiroom Microsoft’s Diamond Sword In The Next-Gen Battle?

Xbox has released more information on their clever bit of tech, known as the IllumiRoom. It is a projector which brings the game outside of your TV and projects it onto your wall. Pretty neat.

[abradley]

Whether it will change games as we know it is highly doubtful, but it looks cool.

[minimur12]

yeah, things like this are cool but they also cost alot haha, would be surprised if illumiroom if any less than $300

[fr0sty]

Didn't we just have a "Is Illumiroom Microsoft's Secret Weapon" article a day or two ago? Diamond sword being subbed in to keep it from being flagged as a dupe. These armchair journalists really should try harder.

Either way, I work with projectors every day. No projector for less than $500 will be any good at competing against ambient light. Add in the short throw lens, which makes it even more expensive, the Xbox, and Kinect 2... I don't see this coming cheap. And I don't see the point in paying a lot of money for it. Just get a bigger TV. Sure, the video mapping effects are cool, but that's a lot of money to pay to make your entertainment center ripple with each gunshot.

[abradley]

Agreed, a lot of money for too little an improvement. This is not MS's secret weapon, unless they've lost their minds.

[Kte]

Yeah it looks sooo awesome. But true, knowing Microsoft, they would sell the 720 alone for what 400$, then Illimiroom for another 300

[minimur12]

in their video, the narrator says it's 'proof of concept'

looks liike we wont be playing.... or using it anytime soon :(

[Kte]

Q_Q!

[strigoi814]

It will be expensive for sure..just try to imagine what tech they are using on that project..a kinect camera and a very good projector..projector itself is around how much already?? And this is not gonna be getting out of the next xbox coz its a stand alone piece of hardware..so this can either compete with projectors or TV market out there

[MikeyDucati1]

All depends on developers willing to use the tech. Some parts of it looks cool (like the snowflakes falling in the racing game section) and some look like they can be overbearing (shooter section where the sandy yellows seem to take up everything outside the TV).

But we'll see what MS will do with this.

[Urusernamesucks]

Yes

Diamond swords are expensive.lol

[brandon507]

Just another cord to trip on to knock over my console and reck my games

[boybato]

Illumiroom + Kinect V 2.4 = Game Changer
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not.

[RFornillos4]

if you wanna play any game in a dark room, then yes, this is Microsoft's diamond sword. HOWEVER, and this is a big BUT; as most of the people mentioned here, unless they plan to bundle this as a standard for the next Xbox and STILL priced at $400, then this diamond's not gonna make the cut at all.

[steve30x]

Its just anothger gimmick. I would probably use it once or twice. Its no good unless you have a dark room anyway. Anybody that disagrees try using a projector in a brightly light room and then come back and tell me how wrong I am.

[colonel179]

Yeah it will work perfectly just like you could scan your skateboard with Kinect! We all learned from MS that concepts never become real. So even if it comes out, it will never work like the videos show.

[CEOSteveBallmer]

Whether your a PS fan or xbox fan, this tech is very welcome because it improves somehow console gaming experience. Unlike some douche here at N4G saying that Smartphones and mobile gaming is the future, probably better than 3DS, vita and upcoming consoles. How Delusional and annoying. Check out Comments on Satoru Iwata "Punches" a stockholder. I dont know if its really true that he punched him because this will create negativity on Nintendo.

[Ninjamonkey82]

Once again like kinect these things require space not everyone has that space. Many like there bedrooms as there area for gaming and relaxing. Some like to get there feet up and wind down after a days work.

Illumiroom and Kinect come with the limitations off the projector and the space required for kinect I'm guessing combined by the time there finished.

So again there aiming at a certain market and again there pushing certain people to one side.

[Jek_Porkins]

We don't know about the new Kinect, but rumors are it requires a lot less space, and I've used a projector in limited space before, if it had a wide angle option, it might only need to be 5-6 feet away. Just something to keep in mind.

[Jek_Porkins]

There was something like this a couple of spots up, I think it's a great idea, it just needs to be cost effective for the average gamer. The idea and look of it is pretty awesome though.

[sway_z]

You can see how unprofessional and ill-informed some of these so-called Journo's are....

A real Writer/Journalist would have done some homework/research to find Microsoft have stated Illumiroom will not make the next gen Xbox.

THIS IS FUTURE TECH @CONCEPT STAGE...

If they can't even get the simple facts right, why should anyone take their site seriously?

Another example of LAZY LAZY game journalism...A terrible piece.

[RuleofOne343]

If they get it done right & at reasonable cost for consumers then maybe it can be . as for me am sold on it just waiting to buy.