A new version of the SDK can be downloaded from Microsoft website

Aug 22, 2014 08:30 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has recently announced the availability of a new version of the Kinect for Windows SDK 2.0 public preview, revealing that this update brings no less than 200 improvements for developers.

The software development kit can be downloaded straight from Microsoft’s website, and thanks to today’s update, it comes with the Kinect Fusion toolkit for higher-resolution camera tracking and performance.

Microsoft says that this update also adds improvements to the tooling, such as the Visual Gesture Builder and Kinect Studio. A total of 10 new samples are being offered to improve coding speed and help developers avoid starting a new project from scratch.

“All of this adds up to a substantially more stable, more feature-rich product that lets you to get serious about finalizing your applications for commercial deployment and, later this year, for availability in the Windows Store,” the company explains.

Microsoft says that all those who downloaded the public preview should get this update as soon as possible because it brings lots of improvements that could make development easier.

Microsoft officially launched the Kinect for Windows 2.0 sensors and the SDK 2.0 public preview in July, announcing that when the full version of the SDK becomes available, everyone would be allowed to submit apps to the Windows Store.

The Kinect for Windows v2 sensor, which can be yours for $199 (€150), comes with improved skeletal tracking, higher depth fidelity, full HD video support, new active infrared capabilities, and wider and expanded field of view.

In its turn, the SDK also comes with support for new development environments, powerful tooling, advanced face tracking and simultaneous multi-app support.

“We will be releasing a final version of the SDK 2.0 in a few months, but with so many of you eagerly awaiting access, we wanted to make the SDK available as early as possible. For those of you who were unable to take part in our developer preview program, now you can roll up your sleeves and start developing. And for anyone else out there who has been waiting—well, the wait is over!” Microsoft said last month.

The new version of the Kinect for Windows SDK can be downloaded straight from Microsoft, obviously free of charge, so if you’ve already purchased the new sensors, make sure that you get it as soon as possible. Up until now, there’s no information regarding the launch date of the final product, but more details should surface in the coming months.