Xbox 360 Kinect Sensor

Controller evolution, game console style.

Top to bottom:

Original Xbox Controller S, Kinect

Nintendo Virtual Boy, Wiimote

Original Sony PlayStation controller, PlayStation Move.

We love that the world is at the point where we're not upgrading our computers as often. Instead, we're upgrading sensors so the computer understands more about us.

Adding Kinect to an Xbox is like adding sonar to a submarine—sure, you could drive it around before, but now it can see where it's going. OK, that's a rather stretched analogy. You get the idea. 

• There's a rubber pad between us and the insides of the Kinect. Let's take care of that...

• The motorized base can rotate the top sensor bar to track you as you dance around the room. That sounds useful, but we're wary of mechanical parts that are prone to failure. About the size of an American quarter, the base has a tiny motor with three fragile plastic gears. Barring overheating issues with the top unit, we're  this motor assembly will be the Kinect's weak point.