How to use the Kinect as a webcam in Windows 10
Applies to all versions of Windows 10
If you’re looking for a webcam to use on your PC, you can use the Xbox Kinect as a webcam in Windows 10. Once you’ve made your Kinect a webcam in Windows 10, you can use it for video calls on Microsoft Teams. , Skype, Zoom and more. Using Kinect as a sign-in option for Windows Hello is much easier than relying on a PIN or password, and the Kinect can recognize you a lot faster. There isn’t much else you can use a Kinect for these days, as Microsoft discontinued the Kinect in 2017, including Kinect-based games available through backward compatibility on Xbox Series X | S. If you don’t already have an Xbox One Kinect sensor, you need to purchase a Kinect sensor and the Kinect Adapter for Windows 10 PC.
Unfortunately, Microsoft stopped making the Kinect sensor and Kinect adapter in 2017, so other than using the Kinect as a webcam, there isn’t much else you can use the Kinect sensor for. , unless you develop your own UWP app in the Microsoft Store.
Here’s what you need to do to use the Kinect as a webcam in Windows 10:
1. Install Kinect for Windows Runtime 2.0
2. Install Kinect for Windows SDK 2.0
3. Restart your PC
Once you’ve completed these steps, you can open the camera app on Windows 10 to verify that the Kinect is working as a webcam. Microsoft has a dedicated Kinect webpage, but keep in mind that not all of the links listed will work. There is no limit to what you can do using the Kinect as a webcam in Windows 10.
There is a Kinect plugin for Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) that can use Kinect for streaming on Twitch. More information on the OBS plugin is available on GitHub. GitHub already has a plethora of recently updated projects available for the Kinect.
How would you use the Kinect as a webcam in Windows 10? Let us know in the comments.