Sony to acquire AI and computer vision company Cinemersive Labs

Sony has entered an agreement to acquire machine learning and computer vision company Cinemersive Labs.

The UK-based firm specialises in immersive 3D photography and video for virtual and augmented reality. It will become part of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Visual Computing Group, a research and engineering division within SIE.

Cinemersive Labs will contribute to the platform holder’s “broader efforts in advancing state of the art visual computing within games”, such as applying “machine learning to enhance gameplay visuals and improve rendering techniques.”

Sony’s VCG was formed in 2024 after merging with AI company iSize and parts of the SIE Game Platform Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) group.

The division includes a large team “of R&D engineers with unique technical skills in: neural networks, video coding, quality assessment, generative models, game rendering, and high-performance computing.”

Earlier this year, Sony patented an AI system designed to assist players.

The ‘AI-generated ghost player’ functions as an overlay that interacts with the environment alongside the player, similar to a co-op partner demonstrating in-game solutions.

The patent was filed in 2024 but gained traction in January following a status update.

Additional patents include technology to anticipate player movements to reduce lag, detect player frustration through microphones or controllers, and impersonate players to identify online cheaters.