Sony Patent Puts Your Home In The Game
The difference between video games and other entertainment mediums such as film or books is immersion. Attempts to further this immersion in the video game industry have been advocated for in a plethora of ways since its genesis, be it via games having better graphics, responsive controls, or great depth in gameplay to help further blur the lines between fantasy and real life.
In this regard, it seems that Sony is the first company in gaming looking to take that next step into the future. While Sony's competitor, Microsoft, has established itself as the leader of console performance and power with the Xbox Series X, Sony has been at the forefront of innovating new technology — or refining existing technology — to make games even more immersive, one of them being PlayStation VR which was made available for the PlayStation 4. After a long wait, Sony has announced the release of the PSVR2 for PlayStation 5 in the near future as well. And within the PSVR2 framework, Sony has filed for a new patent that could bring gaming quite literally into one's living room.
Sony has submitted a patent on technology that renders objects in homes
As reported by Game Rant, Sony has recently filed a patent on technology that would have the PSVR2 scan real objects in one's home and replicate them in virtual space. According to a diagram in the patent, this is done by grabbing a 360-degree scan of a household object. The patent apparently didn't state how this technology can be implemented into VR games, or if it would avoid the realm of gaming altogether and be used for non-gaming experiences. Diagrams in the patent referred to the experiences as "simulations," suggesting that they could be used in VR, or in augmented reality games.
According to the report, Sony filed for the patent in the summer of 2021, but was forced to revise it and submit further details, as the patent office raised questions relating to claims made in the filing. As of right now, Sony has not officially been granted the patent and there is no timetable on when gamers could see such technology implemented, but Game Rant indicated that Sony will be "moving forward with the process following updates and revisions" by the company.
This hasn't stopped gamers from drafting out the possibilities, though. One user on Twitter said they'd use the technology to scan their cat into games, while another expressed concern that such a feature could cost more money.