Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that it has acquired iSIZE, a London-based company that specializes in AI applications for video processing and streaming. The deal is expected to enhance Sony’s streaming capabilities across its platforms, including PlayStation’s cloud gaming feature and the upcoming PlayStation Portal handheld device.
iSIZE was founded in 2016 and has developed products such as BitClear, BitSave, and BitGen. BitClear uses neural networks to improve the quality of heavily compressed video in real-time with minimal latency. BitSave allows encoders to produce video at significantly lower bitrates while maintaining or improving quality. BitGen enables live generation of photorealistic avatars for game development.
Sony said that iSIZE will benefit its R&D and video streaming services, but did not disclose the financial terms of the deal due to contractual reasons. It is believed that iSIZE’s technology will feature in PlayStation’s streaming platform and app, which could provide higher quality streams while using less bandwidth. This could improve the experience for players and strengthen PlayStation’s position in the gaming industry.
The acquisition comes as Sony expands its in-house game development with studios like PlayStation Studios. Sony-owned Bungie recently laid off a significant number of employees amid a huge drop in Destiny 2 player numbers. The launch of the game’s next expansion has reportedly been delayed from February 2024 to June 2024.
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