The controller for the new Xbox One console will have some compelling interactions with the Kinect hardware and, as you might have expected, operate on both a wired and wireless mode, Microsoft confirmed today. It will also operate in a low-power state, although its exact functionality or purpose in that mode is unknown. We simply know it will be able to have “instant on” like functionality when coming out of the low-power state and thus not require re-syncing to the Xbox One console itself.
According to a blog post on xbox.com, which confirmed this wired and wireless ability, the current controller has evolved during a process involving more than 200 prototypes.
Interestingly, the controller can be recognized by the Kinect hardware, which can in turn use its camera to recognize who exactly is holding the controller at that point in time. This may sound trivial, but if the Xbox One can dynamically switch screen positions in the middle of a split-screen game based on sofa adjustments, as the blog post claims, that could be pretty slick.