PlayStation is acquiring video delivery AI firm, iSize
SIE says the deal will benefit its video and streaming services
Sony Interactive Entertainment has agreed to acquire UK-based AI company iSize.
ISize specialises in deep learning for video delivery. Its technology allows companies to reduce the amount of data required to stream video games, and increase visual quality of video streaming content using AI.
The company also has its own “live photorealistic generative 2D/3D avatar technology”, according to its website.
“The acquisition provides SIE with significant expertise in applying machine learning to video processing, which will benefit a range of our R&D efforts as well as our video and streaming services,” said SIE Future Technology Group SVP, Ueli Gallizzi.
“Founded in 2016 and based in London, iSIZE has a team of talented engineers and technical experts who have developed a suite of software solutions to optimize video.
“For example, the company built an AI-based perceptual preprocessing solution that allows conventional, third-party encoders to produce higher quality video at a significantly lower bitrate.”
Earlier this year, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said PlayStation was gearing up to reveal “aggressive plans” in the cloud gaming space.
More recently, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said technical issues remain with cloud-based gaming, calling the technology “very tricky” but a challenge “we want to take on”.