Xbox One’s iPlayer delay blamed on Kinect, report says

There’s still no sign of BBC iPlayer for the Xbox One — and a new report suggests that could be because the app can’t Kinect the dots.

Gamer blog Ultimate Gaming Paradise claims to have spoken to a developer who worked on the iPlayer app intended for the new console, which they say is interrupted when the Kinect sensor detects even the slightest movement by the viewer.

The anonymous whistleblower claims a lack of support from Microsoft and poor management at the BBC is to blame for the failure to overcome the Kinect complication.  

“We are working to bring BBC iPlayer to Xbox One in the future,” a spokesperson from the Beeb told me recently when Auntie’s catch-up service was conspicuously absent from Microsoft’s list of video apps available at launch. Sadly, there’s still no sign of the app.

In the meantime, you can stream video through your Xbox One to your telly from film and TV services including Blinkbox, Netflix, Lovefilm, Eurosport, and Twitch. BBC shows may be missing but you can watch TV catch-up and on-demand from Channel 4’s 4oD, Five’s Demand 5 and Sky’s Now TV.

Microsoft and the BBC previously struggled to agree about iPlayer back in the days of the Xbox 360, but that was due to licence-fee payers being forced to pay for Xbox Live to access online services. 

Meanwhile the Sony PlayStation 4 does have iPlayer, alongside Netflix, Now TV, Demand 5, IGN, Twitch and VidZone.

Which console gets your vote? Is iPlayer a deal-breaker? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.

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