9 ways the Kinect 2.0 can revolutionize gaming

Standard controllers can only get you so far. The next generation of gaming is here (or, rather, will be here soon), meaning it's time to throw convention to the wayside and start playing games in more meaningful ways. The Xbox One and its packed-in Kinect will usher gaming into the future. You can say that the original Kinect was for babies, it never worked right, and it was just flat out useless, but the Kinect 2.0 has the potential to absolutely change the way we play games. Forever.

Just look at the tech. The new Kinect is much more powerful than its predecessor, it can see more of the room around you, it can pick up the minute details of your movement, and much more. It sees everything, and it will make gaming all the better with all of the features and options it will make available. Come see some examples of how the Kinect and Xbox One can theoretically revolutionize the way we play games. Forever.

Action games will reach new levels of interactivity with the capabilities of the Kinect. You’ll no longer have to memorize complicated button combinations and special abilities. Just use your own martial arts skills to defeat your enemies.

Not sure if you could lift your leg high enough for a sword kick or perform all of Metal Gear Rising’s combat moves in real life? Don’t worry. Now that you’re off the couch and using your body as the controller, you’re bound to pick up those ninja skills, eventually.

Feel the vertigo in Assassin’s Creed as the motion controls take you higher than you have ever felt in a video game. In previous control schemes, pressing the controller’s analog stick up to climb a wall was the furthest you could feel to actually being an assassin stalking his prey. With the Kinect, you are the assassin.

Every handhold you grasp and every step you take is your own. However, be sure to keep your composure. Along with the thrill of climbing an old world skyscraper comes incredible danger. The further off the ground you get in your living room, the higher you’ll climb in the game. Have low ceilings? No problem. Take your Kinect outside and head for the highest rooftop.

Watchdogs is all about connectivity, and what better way to be connected to your game than with the Kinect? You're not just playing as Aiden Pierce, you are Aiden Pierce. Want to hack a street light or pull up a profile of a passing pedestrian? Just pull out your own cell phone. The Kinect will use its advanced technology to scan your device, break down your passcodes, and take over. No need to sync it to the Xbox One, the Kinect will do it for you.

Now you're free to see everything that Aiden sees on his phone. Hack data just like the hero, and even play mobile titles on your phone while he plays on-screen. Bored of walking around in Watch Dogs? Walk around while playing Candy Crush Saga while playing Watch Dogs. That’s like playing a game within a game while the game plays a game that you’re playing.

We know you've fumbled with the cover controls in many third-person shooters, but now those issues are no more. Not only will the Kinect scan and recognize every person in its view, it will also pick up inanimate objects that can be used in gameplay.

In a game like Gears of War, it’s incredibly easy to get Baird and Cole behind cover. Just bring the battlefield to your living room. Flip over a coffee table, or jump behind your couch to get your character out of harm’s way. Obviously, everyone has a couch in front of their Kinect, and it's easy enough to move furniture around your house. You could probably use the exercise anyway.

Why celebrate your gaming victories with last gen’s fist pumps, high fives, laughter, or smiles? Before, those outbursts couldn’t be video recorded and shared on every social media channel, so what was the point? Well, guess what? Now the Kinect captures every moment of your celebration and rates you on your performance.

Score a sweet field goal? Spike the controller like a pro! Don’t just watch Crash Bandicoot do his victory dance. Join in on the fun and do the dance right beside your hero. Kinect will capture the best moments of you having a blast in all of your Xbox One games and share them with the world, automatically. Whether you want to or not.

*Microsoft reserves the right to use any Xbox One gamer likenesses for use in promotional materials and marketing.

With Kinect’s new holographic pain replication technology, you’ll feel the impact of every blow you take in your favorite boxing title, action game, and sports franchise. Ever wonder what it would feel like to take a punch from a heavyweight? With the holographic cloning feature, you can face a real opponent in your living room.

Using a combination of tractor beams and force fields, the Kinect is able to project a hologram into your room that looks and feels like the real thing. Now you can finally take on a life-like version of Mike Tyson or step into the ring with Manny Pacquiao.

Rest assured, although the technology is incredibly advanced and the experience may feel completely real, it is absolutely safe. The safety parameters are maintained by a small, foolproof chip contained in the Kinect, restricting the use of lethal forc… Oh, god!

Move along, move along. There’s nothing else to see here. If you would like more information on the upcoming next-generation hardware there are plenty of articles on GamesRadar.com. If you have any questions or concerns we will be addressing them in the comments below.

Be sure to check out everything on the upcoming console in our articles on everything we know about the Xbox One, and the Xbox One Kinect.