Xbox Scarlett Reportedly Putting Huge Emphasis on its Camera

According to a new report, the Xbox Scarlett is doubling down on camera technology, which seems to suggest the Kinect isn't quite dead. The report comes way of Gizmodo, who says the Xbox Scarlett is putting a huge emphasis on camera technology, with the current camera capable of 4K with a 2ms lag. Apparently, the camera is very impressive, especially compared alongside the PS5, which is said to use older camera technology. Unfortunately, no further details are divulged, but a big emphasis on camera technology can really only mean two things.

One, Xbox Scarlett is going to support high-end VR. This would presumably mean either Xbox is developing its own VR headset, or it has made a deal with Oculus, HTC, or another VR headset maker. This is certainly possible, after all, Microsoft is currently lagging in this department, behind even Nintendo, who's been experimenting with VR via the Nintendo Labo. However, with VR still a niche market, I find it hard to believe Xbox is dumping so much into camera technology just for VR support.

The other possibility is Microsoft once again going to give the Kinect a go, which would be risky, given the general consensus on the Kinect, which is mostly negative. Further, this seems to be at odds with everything Microsoft has been doing in the second half of this generation, which, among other things, has seen it distance itself from the failed technology.

What's also interesting to hear is that apparently the PS5 is using older camera technology, which suggests we won't be seeing a PlayStation VR 2 anytime soon. Otherwise, you'd assumed PlayStation would be improving its camera technology for the PS5. Again, given the mild success of the PlayStation VR, it wouldn't be very surprising to see Sony hold off on making improvements to its next-gen console for the purpose of VR.

Of course, all of this -- the report and the bits of speculation -- should be taken with a grain of salt, like any unofficial information. That said, this isn't a random Reddit poster or from the depths of 4chan, this is coming from Gizmodo, meaning, at the very least, the claims are worth paying attention to.

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