Sony Patents Blockchain System Amidst PSVR2 Release
Last Thursday, global technology giant Sony released a patent for an in-game blockchain infrastructure that supports the trading and sale of digital assets.
Sony’s blockchain allows participants to purchase in-game items or characters. The system will also enable users to capture gameplay moments as video clips or images and distribute them as NFTs.
Sony’s technology patent includes a sophisticated distributed ledger that uses unique identifiers and metadata for secure NFT trading. According to the patent application, users can see an asset’s history, including previous ownership, visual appearance and metadata.
The new patent encourages eSports and gaming celebrities to monetize notable moments from gameplay or tournament sessions. Similarly, sports broadcasting companies such as ESPN provide fans with similar opportunities to own famous sports moments as an NFT or digital asset.
Sony’s XR Vision
The patent request comes as Sony ramps up efforts to debut its PlayStation Virtual Reality 2 (PSVR2) headset. The second unit will arrive in early 2023.
The device connects to a Sony Playstation 4 game console allowing users to play high-quality immersive experiences. Sony has confirmed a series of launch titles built to showcase the headset’s power, including Horizon Call of the Mountain, No Man’s Sky, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Enhanced Edition and Cities VR: Enhanced Edition.
In addition, PSVR2 includes powerful specifications such as a 100-degree field of view (FoV), 90-120 Hz refresh rate, 4K video with high dynamic range, interior camera tracking, Tempest 3D AudioTech spatial sound and USB-C connectivity.
Fresh feedback and input technology
The device also features immersive haptic feedback technology in the headset and its included Duelsense controllers. Additionally, in July, Sony teamed up with Tobii to integrate eye-tracking systems that enable hands-free navigation and input.
The Sony partnership enables Tobii to scale its advanced eye-tracking solution to a new gaming market, including developers and consumers.
The Tobii CEO Anand Srivatsa said the Sony partnership establishes a new baseline for immersive VR entertainment and will enable millions of users worldwide to experience the power of eye tracking.
Furthermore, according to Tobii, the Sony partnership will represent more than 10 percent of the firm’s capital by 2022.
Sony is also experimenting with hand tracking for its second VR headset, as shown in another Sony patent application from May, which revealed integrated technology to translate small finger movements as spatial inputs.
With its hand tracking technology, the PSVR2 headset fully recreates a user’s hand in an immersive environment. PSVR 2 controllers will also detect “key points” to create a real-time digital template that responds to a user’s hand movement.
Dualsense controllers utilize pressure-based touch inputs, which detect how a user is holding the PSVR2 controller and create an accurate digital representation of the hand.
The PSVR2 headset also integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) networks to complete hand-based animations when a controller loses its pressure-based detection. Sony opened pre-orders for the PSVR2 in November, with delivery dates estimated for February 22 to 28 next year.
