Razer and Intel are collaborating on a 3D-sensing camera for consumer-end VR and gaming computers. The camera reportedly makes use of Intel’s RealSense technology, which so far has focused primarily on advanced facial recognition features as well as gesture input.
The companies introduced a prototype of the devices at IDF (the Intel Developer Forum), which is taking place in San Francisco this week. One of the camera’s most integral features is automatic background removal, which allows users to remove and replace backgrounds without the use of a green screen.
The camera’s design has yet to be finalized and Razer has confirmed that the images released so far are entirely conceptual, but Intel is apparently partial to the design used in the prototype.
Dr. Achin Bhowmik, the General Manager of Perceptual Computing at Intel, expressed his clear interest in the forthcoming tech, saying, “This is a great opportunity to make Intel RealSense technology easily accessible to the gaming and VR communities. We are proud of the beautiful design of Razer’s Intel RealSense Camera peripheral and we look forward to enabling innovation in the gaming world together.”
While specific details are notably sparse at the time of this writing, Engadget has reported that the device will ship complete with movement tracking for a more immersive gaming experience. This seems to be the case regardless of whether the user is donning a virtual reality head-mounted display or just sitting normally in front of their desktop.
If it functions as advertised, the device could either be an entertaining way to pass time or a quickly forgettable gimmick. But it should be fun to be able to dodge enemy attacks in a fighting game by physically moving around.
As it’s in the very early stages of production, Razer has yet to decide on specific release information such as cost or potential launch window. Stay tuned.
