Are there any fidelity gains to be had when using the Kinect for Windows device with "near mode" vs the standard Kinect for xbox360? Based on the name of the mode it seems like you might get better results when your performer is close to the camera.

Near mode of Kinect for Windows is primarily designed to do facial and upper body capture. Our software focuses on full-body mocap, so this mode is not relevant.
FYI, Kinect 2 does not have this near mode, operating equally in the whole range of 0.5-4.5m.