Accessory Details

• Accessory: Xbox Live Vision Camera
• Category: Web Camera
• Released: 06/10/2006
• Current Price (UK): £34.99 (Stand alone camera, alternate packages available )
• Contents: Xbox Live Vision Camera

The Xbox Live Vision camera is the Xbox version of the PS2 eye toy, and allows you to use video chat, and is occasionally utilised to different extents in various games, a few have optional camera based controls or use the camera in multiplayer, and a few have a face scanning option in character creation.

Main Reasons to Buy

You want to use video chat or access camera functionality in some of your games, you can also use the camera with you PC if you do not have a camera for it.

Main Reasons to Avoid

The camera is under utilised in games with relatively few that utilise it camera in any form, and only one (In the movies) for which it is essential. There is also no in built microphone so you still need to use an Xbox 360 headset for chat.

My Recommendation

CONSIDER – 7/10

The main problem with the camera is that there are very few titles that use it and it has no inbuilt microphone. It is still an accessory that you may find yourself using occasionally though. What I would recommend doing though is looking for it on offer or packaged with something else as that can provide you with much better value for money.

The first option is to buy it packaged with “You’re In The Movies” as that can be cheaper than the stand alone camera. and you get a reasonable game thrown in for good measure. The second option which I personally recommend is to buy it packaged with a years subscription to Xbox Live Gold. You also get a couple of codes for XBLA games (Uno & Robotron in the UK) and 200 MS Points, plus an extra headset thrown in for good measure. Even if just after the camera and Gold subscription it works out cheaper than buying them separately.

Overall the Vision Camera is lacking in some respects but worth looking out for especially if you can get it packaged with something else.