Xbox 360 console developer Microsoft has revealed its state of the art Natal controller to the general public at the Gamescom festival in Cologne, Germany.
The hands-free control system uses microphones, infrared and a visual camera to portray the gamer’s movements on the screen.
A demo of Burnout Paradise previewed how the gadget works, with the user holding an imaginary steering wheel to drive the car. They would then put their foot to the floor if they wanted to accelerate or brake.
The clever part of the system is the infrared detector which picks out the outline of a player’s body by searching for warm spots. The body is scanned by the sensor and their movements can then be mapped and replicated in a game.
Kudo Tsunoda, creative director of Natal, said that the new technology would be accessible to both casual and core users.
He added: "The current controller is a barrier to some people using our console. To many users the vast array of buttons and analogue sticks is plain confusing."
Unveiling new peripherals has been the flavour of the year for the major games console developers.
First Nintendo released its Motion-Plus add-on for the Wii system, giving gamers a greater depth of manipulation over their in-game characters, and recently Sony announced its Motion Controller which will be available early next year.
The new device works in much the same way as the Wii controller, with movement being read by a set-top detector.