Guide
Looking for a Kinect alternative? Your phone can do it
Kinect was brilliant: no controller, just you jumping around the living room. Then it was discontinued. The good news is that the camera on your phone is now good enough to take its place.
The quick answer
- Microsoft stopped making Kinect years ago, and new games for it stopped too.
- Today's phones can track your whole body with their camera.
- JANYM RUN uses exactly that: motion and fitness gaming on any TV with a web browser, no console needed.
Why people still miss Kinect
Kinect made the living room into a playground. Families jumped, danced and laughed together, and Kinect fitness games got people moving without it feeling like exercise. Nothing on the shelves really replaced that feeling, so plenty of people still search for a Kinect alternative.
How your phone replaces Kinect
A modern phone camera, plus a bit of clever software, can find your head, shoulders, hands, hips and feet many times a second. That's all a motion game needs. In JANYM RUN the phone turns your body into a simple stick figure and sends only your movements to the game. Your camera video never leaves your phone.
Kinect vs. a phone camera
| Kinect | Phone camera (JANYM RUN) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you need | An Xbox, the Kinect sensor (discontinued) and often an adapter | The phone you already have |
| Which TV | The one the Xbox is plugged into | Any TV with a web browser, or a laptop on HDMI |
| Players | Usually 1–2 | 2 players, each with their own phone |
| Privacy | Camera connected to the console | The video stays on your phone |
Kinect fitness, without the Kinect
JANYM RUN plays a lot like the Kinect fitness games people loved: you run through colourful worlds, jump over hurdles, squat under bars, clap through giant blocks and high five your partner. After every world you see your moves and the calories you burned. And the orange cat runs along with you, which Kinect never had.
Other Kinect alternatives
- Nintendo Switch: motion controllers and fitness games like Ring Fit Adventure (you hold the controllers).
- VR headsets: full-body, very active games, if you don't mind wearing a headset.
- Phone-camera games like JANYM RUN: nothing to hold, nothing to buy.
Try it tonight, it's free
Open JANYM RUN on your TV, scan the code with your phone, and start jumping.
Play for free on your TVQuestions people ask
Is there a Kinect alternative for PC or smart TV?
Yes. Games that use your phone camera, like JANYM RUN, work on any smart TV with a web browser, or on a laptop connected to the TV.
Do I need an Xbox?
No. JANYM RUN runs in a web browser; the phone is the motion sensor.
Does the camera record me?
No. In JANYM RUN the video never leaves your phone; only your movements go to the game.
Is it good for Kinect-style fitness?
Yes, it is built around jumping, squatting and clapping, and it counts your moves and calories.
More guides
- How to play games on your smart TV with your phone
Can you play games on a smart TV? Yes, and your phone makes a great controller. Here is how.
- Fun exercise games for adults (that don't feel like a workout)
Workouts are easier when they feel like a game. The fun kinds of exercise games for adults, and which one fits you.
- The best game to play on TV with family and friends is the one where everybody moves
Why a game you play with your body beats joysticks, consoles and phone games when everyone is together.