Microsoft unveiled its Xbox coffee table projector concept earlier this year, but it's unlikely to see a release any time soon. After previously describing IllumiRoom — an augmented reality projector that expands content onto living room walls — as "just research," Microsoft now says cost is an issue for bringing it to market. "I wouldn’t expect you’ll see that," explains Albert Penello, head of product planning for Xbox One, in an interview with AusGamers. "It’s really super-neat if you’re in the lab and you’ve got Microsoft money and you could totally set up this awesome lab, but... we looked at it, but for an average customer it’s, like, thousands of dollars [for the set up]."

IllumiRoom is designed to extend game content beyond a TV, by highlighting the edges of games or enhancing select game elements like weapons fire or explosions. The current prototype uses a Kinect for Windows camera alongside a projector to transfer content onto walls nearby a TV. Microsoft unveiled the research project at Samsung's CES keynote earlier this year with a flashy marketing video that fuelled speculation the company was planning to bring the concept to market. After a no-show at the Xbox One event and E3, and Penello's recent comments, it's clear that Microsoft's projector system is a long way from reality.