[CES 2013] For years now, gamers have been playing on screens that have advanced greatly in the last 30 to 40 years. We’ve gone from black & white displays, to CRT monitors, all the way up to what we play our games on now. What we didn’t think of was to try to expand our gaming view from our TVs and monitors to the entire room, which is exactly what Microsoft is proposing with its proof-of-concept that’s being demoed at this year’s CES.
Microsoft’s IllumiRoom uses a combination of Microsoft’s Kinect and a projector in order to project images around the TV onto your walls and even furniture while you’re playing a game. IllumiRoom can be used to expand what you’re seeing within your TV as well as to add ambiance to certain games such as snowflakes falling around the player as they’re in a level filled with snow.
The video above showcases what the IllumiRoom is capable of, all in real-time and captured for the concept video live as it happens. Microsoft assures us no special effects were added to the video after it was recorded, which means if this is the kind of technology we can expect from our next Xbox, then we plan on pre-ordering it immediately.