.Project Natal: Playing with virtual controls...

Microsoft and Sony, are poised to release their own motion-sensing devices in 2010, with Microsoft having the best chance to out-Wii the Wii. Its Project Natal product, announced in June, eliminates the controller entirely--instead of a player holding a gadget, a special device mounted beneath the TV uses a video camera, an infrared sensor, and software to identify a player's motions. The gamer's actual silhouette, not a generic avatar, can then be inserted directly into games.

To win at Wii tennis, you basically just need to swing your wrist back and forth. In contrast, the Natal camera detects the subtle movement of your limbs. I tried a game called Ricochet, where you punch, kick, and head-butt a ball down a corridor to break apart bricks at the far end. It sounds simple, but because the Natal camera tracks the exact movement of each limb going after the careening ball, I really needed to reach for each shot. Microsoft isn't exactly known for simple products that work seamlessly--but the Xbox has been an exception, and if the final product delivers on what the prototype promises, Natal may be Microsoft's most graceful step forward in gaming yet.

Sony has a motion controller in the works, too: a handheld, wandlike device that pairs with a camera, splitting the difference between Wii and Natal. It doesn't have a name yet--but it does have an expected release date of spring 2010, earlier than Natal. Beating Microsoft to market is Sony's best chance at bringing the PlayStation 3 out of third place in the console wars.