Sony buys machine-learning company to help "enhance gameplay visuals, improve rendering techniques, and unlock new levels of visual fidelity" in PlayStation games

Sony is investing in AI-powered machine learning technology to help advance visual fidelity in PlayStation games, the company has announced.

In a news release, Sony says it's reached an agreement to acquire UK-based machine learning company Cinemersive Labs as part of its mission to continually explore "new ways to push the boundaries of visual computing and deliver richer, more immersive gameplay experiences."

Sony says Cinemersive Labs employees will be a part of SIE's Visual Computing Group, which was formed in 2024 following Sony's acquisition of London-based AI company iSIZE, and will "contribute to our broader efforts in advancing state of the art visual computing within games."

In case there was any doubt, this acquisition is yet another investment in AI-powered, machine learning upscaling similar to Nvidia's DLSS, whose latest iteration is facing widespread comparisons to "AI slop." Sony introduced its own AI upscaler with the PS5 Pro's PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) tech, but so far it's been much more conservative than what we've seen from DLSS 5.

It's unclear if Cinemersive will specifically be working on PSSR, but that seems the most logical outcome. Sony only says the team will use "machine learning to enhance gameplay visuals, improve rendering techniques, and unlock new levels of visual fidelity for players." So, AI upscaling, which is pretty much PSSR's whole thing.

"We look forward to welcoming the Cinemersive Labs team to SIE and continuing to make PlayStation the best place to play," reads Sony's announcement.

There isn't a whole lot to glean from Cinemersive Labs' official website, which is about as barebones as it gets. There is a single page to navigate that simply says, "Cinemersive AI transforms a single photo shot into a volumetric 3D immersive experience." Below that is a gallery of 76 volumetric images you can play around with and view from different perspectives. There's also a trailer for Cinemersive Labs' Parallax VR app, which lets you view volumetric images taken from iconic landmarks from around the world.

It's unclear how much of Cinemersive Labs' VR ventures will continue under Sony's umbrella, but one can assume the website will soon be due for a little spiffing up.

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