As part of its Technology Day held this week, Sony Group Corporation announced three new technologies for the PlayStation 5 which will improve the gamer’s immersive experience.
The online event introduced a host of new technologies across multiple industries under the theme of “technology that inspires emotion”. At the opening of the Technology Day, Toru Katsumoto, Sony Group Corporation executive deputy president and CTO said: “I hope to take the lead in uniting the Sony Group’s diverse businesses through talent and technology, which will leverage to evolve our products, content, and services in ways that fill the world with emotion.”
Gamers using the recently released PlayStation 5 will benefit from three new technologies introduced: tempest 3D audio, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Tempest 3D audio is designed with DSP to achieve extremely accurate audio positioning, so that sound completely surrounds and envelopes the listener.
Haptic feedback realises a variety of tactile responses by changing the vibration of the newly developed dual actuator according to the situation in the game, providing an immersive experience.
In addition, the adaptive triggers adopted to the L2/R2 buttons of the DualSense wireless controller enable powerful real-time tactile sensation in response to in-game actions with a small precision gear and built-in high-torque motor. These technologies will continue being developed by Sony with the aim of providing “the best place to play to everyone”.
Amongst other new technologies, Sony also announced an OLED microdisplay and low latency head mounted display. This is a VR head-mounted display that projects a high-definition 3D space and achieves a high-resolution of 4K with one eye and 8K with both eyes. High image quality is achieved through multi-pixel and miniaturisation using fine processing and advanced packaging technology cultivated through the development and manufacture of CMOS image sensors, and OLED microdisplay using device and circuit technology cultivated through the development of displays.
The processing time is reduced by decreasing the amount of latency throughout the entire system thanks to the integration of data from multiple sensors. The person watching in VR can experience high-definition images in real-time according to the movement of his/her head.
Although this is ideal for industrial application, the OLED microdisplay is expected to be used in the entertainment field too, as it can express the texture of materials and human expressions in high-definition in real-time based on movements of the viewer’s head.
Other technologies announced at the Technology Day included virtual production made possible with Crystal LED and cinema cameras; EPTS and data visualisation technology to track football players; super-resolution technology to be used in ray tracing; stacked SPAD depth sensor for automotive LiDAR; the ‘Manipulator’, reproducing the delicacy of the human hand; and “Earth ‘MIMAMORI’ platform” which watches over Planet Earth to detect signs of abnormalities such as environmental problems and disasters to help prevent problems before they occur.