The Link relies entirely on what your camera sees to recognize your movements, with your microphone added in for voice control. Choosing the right hardware makes a noticeable difference. Below are buying and setup tips, organized as camera, microphone, PC specs, and optional accessories.

For detailed camera and microphone setup, including mirroring and rotation, see Camera and Microphone; for voice-recognition issues, see Voice Recognition.

Camera

MasonX developed The Link using a Logitech C1000E camera, so in theory this model will reproduce the development setup 100%. That said, the C1000E is getting old, isn't great value for money, and has only a 90° field of view (FOV), which means you need a fairly large room. You're free to shop around online for a wide-angle camera of your own—just keep the following points in mind, as they have a clear impact on the experience:

1. Placement: Pose Recognition is trained in real time the moment you say "Remember," while walking and hand recognition use pre-trained models. Follow the tutorial when setting your camera height—place the camera at knee height and adjust the tilt so that you line up with the recommended standing position.

2. Resolution and latency: The Link supports up to 60 fps and 720P (1280×720) resolution. You don't need 2K or 4K.

3. Good lighting: Image quality itself has little effect on motion capture, but poor lighting—or a background that blends with the color of your clothing—will hurt recognition.

4. Wide-angle lens: Even with a large screen, you'll generally want a camera with at least a 90° FOV; in a smaller room where you have to stand closer, you may need 120° FOV.

5. Watch for latency: The Link itself shouldn't introduce any latency you can feel. If you do notice lag, it's likely coming from the camera feed—try connecting the camera to a USB 3.0 port on your PC, and if the camera comes with its own configuration software, use it to lower the image quality.

Cameras recommended by users

A camera that comes well-recommended by overseas users is the NexiGo N980P—an affordable, wide-angle webcam that lets you stand close while you play.

Microphone

Because of how you use The Link, you'll often be some distance from your microphone, and some mics won't pick up your voice well at that range. We recommend a Bluetooth headset or an inexpensive desktop microphone to improve voice recognition. A basic USB desktop microphone offers the best value for the money. You can of course buy a higher-end mic, but be aware: some premium microphones have built-in background-noise reduction that can actually reduce voice-recognition accuracy at a distance.

PC specs

Right now, The Link's algorithm performance depends solely on your CPU clock speed. Just right-click "This PC," choose "Properties," and you'll see your CPU's base clock frequency.

Other optional accessories

If you'd like accessories to further enhance the experience, consider the following.

Mini wireless keyboard and air mouse

About: Search online for plug-and-play accessories like mini wireless keyboards and air mice. Beginners can hold these to handle actions such as turning and mouse clicks, which is very user-friendly.

• Pros: Affordable; easy to use—just plug them into your PC and go, and they come with key-mapping software.

• Cons: The devices may not feel great to hold; you can improve this by 3D-printing a custom shell that fits your hand. Game compatibility isn't as comprehensive as with Joy-Con controllers.

Switch Joy-Con controllers

About: Joy-Con controllers can emulate keyboard keys and enable features like Wrist to Mouse.

• Pros: Full-featured. Buy a pair and it's like holding a wireless controller you can use directly with most games.

• Cons: More expensive. A desktop PC needs an extra Bluetooth receiver, and without a Switch console you'll also need a charging dock. Setup and installation are more involved, and adapting them to different games takes some time to tune. Some official Joy-Cons can have Bluetooth issues when connecting to a PC, so we'd suggest a more compatible, lower-priced third-party controller.

• How to use: Use free, open-source software such as JoyToKey, DS4Windows, or JoyShockMapper to connect a Joy-Con to your PC and play any game. Search YouTube for tutorials on playing PC games with a Joy-Con, where you'll find plenty of guides on getting the most out of these controllers.

(Planned) The Link's dedicated accessory: The Ring

As the name suggests, The Ring is a smart ring designed specifically for playing The Link, built to interact closely with the software. The Ring has been part of the hardware roadmap since the very earliest days of The Link's design; however, because hardware development takes a long time and is costly, its release timing will depend on how well the software sells.

Ultimately, The Link's goal is to replace the traditional keyboard and mouse entirely through pure computer vision—if we can already achieve self-driving cars with cameras alone today, why shouldn't we be able to interact with a computer using nothing but a camera?