Next-gen consoles are going to cost $1000+, or more. So, cloud gaming is no longer a luxury but a requirement for many gamers. Sony is trying to solve this issue with the latest patent which employs artificial intelligence to compress the gaming visuals for cloud gaming.
Sony patent details AI image compression to reduce cloud gaming latency and bandwidth requirements
The goal here is to reduce the latency and bandwidth requirement of cloud gaming. So, gamers with slower internet connections can enjoy high-fidelity gaming.
Sony's new patent (US-20260340791-A1) came out on October 29. It outlines a new mechanism to compress images using AI. The mechanism is divided into two parts: a decimation network and a reconstruction network.
The decimation network discards parts of an image based on scoring. The reconstruction network uses AI to rebuild the missing parts. Overall, the mechanism is designed to transmit fewer data while still maintaining visual quality so that you can play the game.
The main motive of image compression is to transmit fewer data to users. By reducing data transmission requirements, the mechanism can potentially solve some of the problems like latency and bandwidth bottlenecks in cloud gaming. This can eventually make cloud gaming viable and smooth for casual users who can't afford expensive hardware or a high-speed internet package.
Another possible use case mentioned by Sony is to make Remote Play experience better on devices like PlayStation Portal. Of course, the reconstruction network can lead to major problems. If reconstruction fails then AI can hallucinate information that was not actually present in the original game scene.
So far, we're closely following PlayStation 6. You can check our previous coverage (PlayStation 6 vs Xbox Project Helix) to know more about the next-gen console race.
In short, Sony's patent shows how they're trying to make cloud gaming a viable alternative to costly local hardware. Of course, the new tech is untested. Also, the risk of getting AI-generated image artifacts is a problem. Anyway, Sony is still trying to find ways to reduce next-gen gaming cost with software and streaming innovation.
Another thousand dollar console to justify streaming my games back to me. I prefer buying hardware that lasts a decade.
The hallucination risk in the reconstruction network is the real bottleneck here.
Does this tech work on the current PlayStation Portal or is it strictly for the next gen streaming box?
The article mentions Remote Play on the Portal specifically so it should be compatible with existing hardware updates.