Microsoft is reportedly working on a next-gen camera for its Project Scarlett Xbox console

Microsoft could be working on a new high-end camera system for its Project Scarlett, according to a report from Gizmodo. As per the media outlet’s sources, the camera would primarily be used for live-streaming and won’t be an upgrade to the Kinect hardware.

This would make sense, as Microsoft has been pushing gamers, especially those on Xbox, to use its live-streaming service Mixer over that of competitors such as Twitch and YouTube, although in a strange twist, the company has removed Mixer game streaming from the Windows 10 Xbox Game Bar. With live-streaming as a core focus on Microsoft’s new hardware, it could help the company’s streaming service gain more attention.

According to Gizmodo, the new camera system could be capable of streaming in 4K Ultra HD with an incredible two-frame latency. We’re not sure how that converts to milliseconds, but the Kinect was capable of somewhere between 8–10 ms. The report also notes that Microsoft has also been demoing Snapchat-like filters for use that changes with the lighting within games.

Sony is also reportedly working on a camera system of its own for the unreleased PS5 as can be seen in a leaked Brazilian design sheet published on Scribd. The document doesn’t explain anything as far as internal specs, only showing a few diagrams of the device.

What do you think about the live-streaming camera that could be bundled with Microsoft’s unreleased console? Do you think Microsoft should bundle it in, or sell it separately? Let us know in the comments.