A new patent by Sony suggests lowering input lag using AI prediction

Since the dawn of AI, every gaming company has wanted to integrate something extraordinary and Sony is no exception. Devices like PlayStation consoles use AI on small scale like upscaling and other things to make the gameplay experience better. Now, a patent has revealed that the company is aiming to use the same to help reduce the input lag in video games.

Many times, players can feel that they pressed the action button but the registration is after a brief moment. This is due to the input latency and the most jarring case is when other AI techs like frame generation are active inside the game.

Even when frame generation isn’t active, the input latency is always present, and depending on the situation it can be very noticeable or none at all. There are many ways to resolve latency issues like Nvidia Reflex and AMD anti-lag. It seems Sony is working on providing something similar using AI for PlayStation consoles. This is the second patent with which the company is trying to do something new. A similar patent reveals an accessory that can allow players to use their PS5 controller as a weapon for shooter games.

Also Read:Sony files patent for new Dual-Sense gun device

Using AI to predict player actions

As spotted by tech4gamers, the patent filed by Sony reveals the use of AI to predict player action ahead of time to reduce latency. To do that, the company is suggesting the use of a sensor to record the player input and then use machine learning to predict the commands. Something like a Kinect sensor might be used.

At the moment, it is unknown if this feature will be available across all games or first-party titles by Sony. Many are betting on the latter with eventual rollout to all games maybe. It is also unknown if this feature will be introduced during the current gen console or will be reserved for PlayStation 6.

The tech is also believed to focus on multiplayer co-op games. Something similar is also used with the ‘rollback netcode’ inside fighting games so perhaps Sony may be trying to innovate upon the same, or it might be something different.