Just Dance 2026 Edition returns on October 14 with a fresh batch of new features – but one is catching everyone’s eye this year: Camera Controller mode. Developed by the Just Dance production team at Ubisoft Paris, this innovation lets players use their entire body as the controller, simply by using their smartphone’s camera. It’s a small revolution that makes dancing even more fluid, precise … and fun!

We spoke with Apolline Wasik (Data Scientist), Caitlin Baltus (Score Level Designer) – two key members of the development team – and OfHugo, a Star Player from the Just Dance community who tested the feature during its beta phase.

A Fresh Direction for Just Dance

The idea for the Camera Controller began in late 2021, when Xbox announced the end of Kinect support. “Through the development of Camera Scoring, we wanted to offer an alternative that lets players dance freely without a controller,” explains Apolline Wasik. This new mode relies on the smartphone’s camera and leverages advances in 3D human pose detection. “We had to explore ways to adapt these models to the specific context of Just Dance.”

This project also responds to a long-standing request from the community: “For a long time, our players were asking for an alternative to Kinect. Then, we wanted to take things further with the scoring algorithm, which measures how closely the player’s movements match those of the coach. […] Thanks to this technology, we’re now able to pinpoint exactly which parts of the body are off and deliver a more accurate, full-body score.”

A More Immersive – and More Rewarding – Way to Learn

With Camera Controller, the feeling of freedom is instantaneous. “It introduces a stimulating learning curve: players see their scores improve gradually as they replay the same choreography, because they’re progressing and refining their movements,” says Apolline.

For Caitlin Baltus, the feature fills a gap that had been missing since the franchise became a unified platform with Just Dance 2023 Edition: “Camera Controller is the feature we needed since the shift to a unified Just Dance platform. […] Just Dance has a competitive legacy on Kinect, which was by far the preferred setup for our core community because of the freedom it provided. […] This way of playing aligns perfectly with our core gameplay – dance itself. It encourages learning the art of dance beyond the game.”

And most importantly, it enables a fairer and more inclusive experience: “Kinect had limitations related to game environment that made scoring imprecise. These issues are no longer relevant with our new in-house technology. It gives back to our community their favorite mode of play – only now, improved!”

From the Players’ Side: a Return to Roots

For OfHugo, the release of this feature was a turning point: “Since nearly the beginning of my Just Dance journey, I always used Kinect. When the game was no longer released on Xbox One, it felt like a real blow to me, in terms of both enjoyment and comfort. […] When the beta launched, it felt like hope again. And after trying it, far more than hope: the test was a success!”

He goes on: “[It’s] an intuitive and pleasant experience, [with] effective detection allowing freedom of dance and play again! […] Now, when I play solo, I use only the Camera Controller mode. […] Scoring without a controller, with the whole body taken into account … for me, it’s the only true way to fully play Just Dance.”

And even though he now often plays in multiplayer, he remains convinced of the solo mode’s power: “When I myself started – transitioning from Wii to PS4 to Xbox One – the Kinect experience is what turned me from a casual player into … well, a Star Player!”

Tech Built Hand in Hand With the Community

Player feedback was central throughout the development process. “Observing qualitative feedback across different choreographies helped us confirm the robustness of the algorithm,” notes Apolline.

Caitlin also emphasizes the importance of direct community feedback: “From a quality standpoint, we could observe in real time how the community was approaching this new Controller and internally adjust our design rules accordingly to deliver better challenges. […] Watching streams, videos and top‑player feedback greatly helped us refine our rules.”

An In‑House Innovation, a Team Challenge

Developing the Camera Controller represented a first for Just Dance: “It’s the first time we’ve integrated a Machine Learning algorithm at the heart of the game. […] It was crucial to always refer back to the game context when designing the feature. […] We even built our own dance motion database with help from volunteers within the Just Dance production team, to train a model specific to the game.”

It was a major challenge – one tackled alongside the ongoing production of regular choreographies. “We had to deliver a true ‘live Kinect’ experience and take Camera Controller even further, all while continuing to produce new choreographies,” recalls Caitlin.

“The beta, with 15 songs produced in just two weeks, allowed us to define the design rules, which we then had to test, refine, and share with other level designers around the world.”

Looking ahead, Apolline sees promising challenges: “The quality of 3D pose estimation models continues to improve. One of the challenges will be adapting them to the game context and making them run on phones, despite their growing complexity.”

An Emotionally Charged Launch

After months of work, the release of Camera Controller in Just Dance 2026 is a source of pride for the team. “The enthusiasm from players motivates us to capitalize on this feature and develop more innovations,” says Apolline.

Caitlin summarizes with emotion: “Seeing community feedback gives meaning to my work and drives me for future projects. […] I had difficulty obtaining consistent scores due to my hair texture and body type. I am so happy to now offer a more inclusive experience. […] The official launch marks a new beginning for Just Dance.”

One thing is certain: with the Camera Controller, dancing has never felt more free—and Just Dance has never been closer to its players!

Just Dance 2026 Edition will be available on October 14 on Xbox Series X|S. Visit the official Just Dance website to check availability on other platforms.