Is it possible to use a Xbox 360 Kinect with Windows 8 in place of a Kinect for Windows?
Note that this would be used in a Home Theater PC environment, and not at a normal desktop set up, so range issues aside will it work when connected to a PC or will it just not be recognized.
The Kinect FAQ from Microsoft indicates that there are hardware and software differences that make Kinect for Windows preferred for computer use. I have developed using older versions of the Kinect SDK and the Kinect for Xbox.
Thus, the Kinect for Xbox is not suitable for use in controlling Windows 8 in place of Kinect for Windows.
It does work. I'm using an up to date version of the Kinect SDK, using the Kinect that came with my Xbox and the adaptor for connecting it to a regular USB port.
I can't use near mode but I am working on a way to fix this without having to buy a third Kinect for when I'm not using my two I already possess for 3D motion capture.
The current version of the Kinect SDK does not support the XBOX 360 Kinect. While one could use the beta version of the SDK if you could find it, you would be limited the license that came with it, which means you would be unlikely to sell your program.
You are better of using the Kinect supported by the release drivers because of the performance increase.
I don't know about windows 8, but I've managed to get an xbox kinect working with windows 7. I used FAAST http://projects.ict.usc.edu/mxr/faast/ to set up keyboard shortcuts. It worked either through the kinect for windows drivers or ones from OpenNI - hopefully at least one of those routes will work through windows 8.
