Sony Group Corp. Chief Executive Kenichiro Yoshida said in an interview with the Financial Times that the company is still watching the development of cloud gaming, and could potentially deploy artificial intelligence to that end at some time in the future.
Yoshida cited difficulties such as potential lags and cost inefficiencies of keeping servers running during quieter hours as major barriers to the development of the streaming model, despite heavy investment in the field by competitor Microsoft Corp., according to the report. He told the newspaper that most users are still using a console or gaming PCs instead of streaming games.
Standalone cloud gaming services such as OnLive and Alphabet Inc.’s Stadia have failed, but Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service is growing.
Sony could use its AI agent Sophy in the future for cloud gaming and it has already been using less-active gaming hours to help train the AI on how to beat humans in racing game Gran Turismo, the Financial Times cited Yoshida as saying.
He declined to comment on the impact of Microsoft’s proposed $69 billion takeover of game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc., which is still awaiting regulator approval, according to the report.
Sony is readying for a push into cloud gaming in the coming months as it works to expand its reach beyond consoles to tap into mobile gaming. It acquired independent game studio Bungie Inc. last year, which could accelerate Sony’s efforts to offer more live services on PlayStation consoles and beyond.
