Sony has developed plans for the use of AI in game development for PlayStation and is working on future implementation.
During Sony’s latest earnings presentation, Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Hideaki Nishino explained how he believes AI will enhance the company’s game production efforts.
“PlayStation’s goal has always been to be the best place to play and the best place to publish,” Nishino said. “We see AI as a powerful tool to help us with this mission.
“For our players, this means a gaming experience like never before: more immersion, more adventure, and fresh ways to enjoy their favorite characters. For our publishers, it means a more efficient production environment and better discovery to ensure their games reach the right audience.”
According to Nishino, AI will “lower the barriers to creation” and accelerate development cycles, “enabling more creators to enter the market.” As a result, Sony expects to “significantly increase the amount and variety of content available to players.”
Nishino said the team at PlayStation Studios is already using AI tools to automate certain processes. “Within our studio, game developers are automating repetitive workloads, increasing software engineering productivity, and accelerating areas such as quality assurance, 3D modeling, and animation through new AI-powered tools,” he explained.
“For example, our team has created a tool called Mockingbird that quickly animates 3D facial models based on performance capture. Importantly, rather than replacing human performers, we are optimizing how the data from these live captures is processed. With Mockingbird, animation tasks that used to take hours can now be completed in a matter of seconds.”
He added: “We’ve already seen teams like Naughty Dog and San Diego Studios adapt our tools, including in released titles like Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. Another example is the tools we’ve built to animate hair, which is often a labor-intensive process given the amount of strands that need to be created. Our teams film videos of real hairstyles and use AI to We accelerated this process by having the tool output a 3D model containing hundreds of strand models.”
“These practical applications allow our teams to spend less time on manual, labor-intensive tasks and instead reinvest time into building richer worlds and gameplay for our players.”
Nishino argued that AI can not only make game development more efficient, but also offer “a new type of experience for fans,” citing Sophy, Gran Tusimo’s AI-powered racing agent, as an example, which he said “has added a level of competitive gameplay for even the most experienced drivers.”
“Taking this further, our world-class creators have already demonstrated the ability to create amazing prototypes that allow NPCs with unique personalities to create vibrant, dynamic worlds for players to explore,” he said.
One of the main concerns players have about the growth of AI in game development is the use of generational AI in the creation of assets and concept art. Perhaps referring to this, Nishino said that the role of Sony’s creators will continue to be a top priority.
“The vision, design, and emotional impact of our games always comes from the talent of our studio and performers,” he said. “AI is an enhancement to that capability, not a replacement.”
Nishino said that aside from the games themselves, Sony is also currently leveraging AI in its PlayStation business, including the PlayStation Store.
“AI is also already part of our platform business,” he said. “For example, over the past few years, AI-powered tools have helped us efficiently route transactions across payment networks, resulting in over $700 million in increased revenue.
“We are building on this success with ongoing projects that use machine learning to deliver the best possible value to our customers. As AI brings more choice than ever to players, the value of our platform lies in its ability to make recommendations and personalize at scale.”
“We’ve already seen how AI models contribute to manual controls, and this will continue to improve. Our AI capabilities will evolve into consumer-centric experiences that not only suggest the next game a player might enjoy, but also the next gameplay moment, subscription, accessory, product, and more that best reflect the player’s passions.”
He also mentioned the PS5 Pro’s recently updated PSSR feature, which “uses machine learning to improve image quality and deliver 4K visuals at high frame rates,” and said, “With PSSR, games like Saros and Ghost of Yotei now look clearer than ever.”
Nishino concluded, “Through our investments in AI and machine learning, we continue to advance the frontiers of fidelity. We believe AI will unlock the creativity of our studios, power more select platforms, and improve the PlayStation experience for players and creators alike.”
“With our global player base, rich IP library and integrated ecosystem, AI is a powerful tool for us to deliver truly cutting-edge entertainment experiences.”
