While playing, there's minimal, though noticeable lag between input on the controller and action on the screen.

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Marks says he had experimented with controller-free input interfaces like Natal with the Eye, but found the experience lacking.

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Beyond simple controller or media remote input, Flixster's Xbox 360 app employs Kinect for gesture and voice-based navigation.

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An early version of an iPad app acted as a master controller, and I watched in awe as each input was simply shuffled around on both the app and the various monitors.

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Text input gets a fairly significant overhaul as well, representing a notable departure from common standards of controller-based typing.

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Nintendo's Wii U tablet controller thankfully streamlines that process in a small, but tremendously meaningful way: during initial console setup, you're prompted to sync your television and the tablet controller, allowing the tablet itself to control the TV's power, volume, channels, and input directly.

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