The Nyko Zoom clips onto the Kinect and adds its own proprietary lenses. Spaces that usually only allow one person to play, will now be able to accommodate two players. And since the device acts simply like putting a pair of glasses on your Kinect, it is compatible with any Kinect game. It also does not require additional power or batteries.

The Zoom was first shown at E3 2011 and was nominated for Best Hardware in Show by IGN, GameSpot, Machinima, and G4 X-Play. The device is now available on Nyko.com and at select retailers, priced at $29.99.

The last time I talked about the Zoom was when the official launch date of August 23 was announced by Nyko. Today Nyko has announced that the Zoom for Kinect is now up for pre-order on Amazon and at other retailers. The Zoom will sell for $29.99 on Amazon and it is sold directly by Amazon. Once you get the Zoom installed you will see up to a 40% reduction in the distance you need to stand from the Kinect for it to work.

The Zoom will support one or two players and easily clips onto the Kinect. It needs no drivers or tuning to work. You just install the clip on device and start playing. This is a very nice product for people with smaller spaces wanting accuracy from the Kinect.

With the Zoom Nyko promises to reduce the space needed to use the Kinect from about 8-feet to about 4-feet. I know that 4-feet of free and clear space is much easier to come by in my house so this is a very welcome accessory. The cool part is that Nyko will sell the Zoom for Kinect for $29.99 making it a bargain. Nyko has offered up the official release date for the device as August 23.

Other cool things about the Zoom for Kinect include that it needs no power to operate. It simply clips onto the Kinect and covers the lenses Microsoft built into the device. I would bet that with many people having issues with enough space to play the Kinect as it comes out of the box Microsoft is at work on a solution that will reduce the amount of space needed to use the Kinect in the future.

[via Yahoo News]

The Game Boost is designed to add up to two more hours of playtime to your 3DS. That will be plenty of time for you to wrap up whatever boss you are beating or race you are winging and find an outlet in many cases. The device attaches to the back of the 3DS to work along with the factory battery in just a few seconds. The battery is thin and compact to add minimal bulk to the 3DS.

The Game Boost doesn’t block any of the ports, sliders, or buttons on the 3DS either. To recharge the Game Boost the user needs only to connect it to the factory charger. That means that on the go you only need to carry the Nintendo 3DS charger to keep the battery and the console powered up. The Game Boost will sell for $12.99.

Nyko is the company that makes all sorts of accessories for gaming systems. This is the company that makes the battery case to extend the life of the Nintendo 3DS that we talked about before. The Zoom for the Kinect reduces the play range for the Kinect software by up to 40% allowing the Kinect to function in small rooms closer to your TV. This is exactly what I needed for the Kinect to work.

The Zoom Play Range Reduction Lens is a device that slips over the lens of the Kinect accessory and clips into place to keep it right where it needs to be as the Kinect moves. No software or calibration is needed. The Zoom will allow two players to play as well and will work with all Kinect games according to Nyko. The Zoom for Kinect sells for $29.99.