With the very successful introduction of motion controllers by Nintendo’s Wii, console makers Sony and Microsoft, has also updated their consoles with new controllers. Microsoft has the Kinect for the Xbox 360 while Sony added the Move to the already existent eye. The Kinect is more like the eye as it is a camera with an added array of depth sensors and microphones. The Move, on the other hand, is more like the WiiMote as it is a controller that you hold and wave around with buttons that you can push. While the Kinect works pretty much on its own, the Move requires that you have the Eye in order to make full use of it.

The main principle behind the Kinect is it tracks the motion and gestures of the players themselves and translates it on screen. You do not hold anything in order to play games. As the Move is a controller, you need to have it in hand in order to play. The Move is equipped with multiple accelerometers and a gyroscope that keeps tracks of the position and location of the controller even when the Eye cannot see it; although, need to ensure that the Eye can see the glowing ball for maximum accuracy as that is what the camera tracks and not the player. The ball even changes color in order to enhance the Eye’s ability to distinguish it from the background.

As the Kinect needs to see the player in order to function properly, you need to have adequate lighting in place or else it won’t work. This is not the case with the Move as ball emits its own light. Playing in a dark room may even be better for the move as it makes it easier for the Eye to see the ball.

Probably the best thing about the Kinect is its ability to track multiple players at once; so you only need one Kinect in order to play with your friends. With the Move, you need to purchase multiple units if you want multiplayer gaming.

Summary:

1. Kinect is for the Xbox 360 while the Move is for the Playstation 3
2. The Move requires a separate device, the Eye, while the Kinect works on its own
3. The Kinect tracks hand gestures while the Move tracks the movement of the glowing ball
4. The Move uses a combination of visual and physical inputs while the Kinect only uses visual
5. The Kinect requires a reasonably lit room to function properly while the Move does not
6. The Kinect can track multiple players while the Move cannot