Microsoft is preparing to ship its new Kinect for Windows out to developers, giving them time to create apps ahead of its public release later this year. The Kinect for Windows v2 sensor looks almost identical to its counterpart on the Xbox One and includes the same type of motion tracking abilities, along with a 1080p camera. Developers will begin receiving the new Kinect in July, and it's available to preorder today for $199.

Beyond just giving developers a much more advanced sensor to work with, the new Kinect will also allow developers to start creating Windows store apps for it — something that wasn't possible using the original model. Microsoft says it's already seen a lot of demand for the new Kinect from developers, with thousands applying for access to a limited preview of the sensor that happened earlier this year. Microsoft doesn't say exactly when the general public will be able to buy one to start using the new apps being made, but it says that sales will start "a few months" after the v2 sensor ships to developers in July.