Softkinetic uses time-of-flight technology to recognize 3D imagery.
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Sony acquires Softkinetic gesture-recognition company

  • Posted byby Dean Takahashi
  • Updated
  • 2 min

Sony has completed the acquisition of Softkinetic Systems, the maker of body-sensing and image-recognition technology.

Softkinetic, based in Brussels, Belgium, has been developing “time-of-flight” range image sensors for years in the hopes of creating the next-generation user interface for computers, game machines, and mobile devices. Its goal has been elusive, but cousins of its technology are used in the Wii video game console and Microsoft’s Kinect body sensors for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One game consoles.

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Written by

Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.