Sony Evaluates AI Tools for PlayStation Game Development

Sony told investors on Friday that it views artificial intelligence as a powerful tool for developing PlayStation games. The company said its studios have adopted AI-powered tools to automate repetitive workflows, improve software engineering productivity and speed up quality assurance, 3D modeling and animation.

One such tool, called Mockingbird, can animate 3D facial models from performance capture data. Sony said the tool completes work that previously took hours in a fraction of a second. Studios including those behind The Last of Us and God of War have used Mockingbird, and its output has appeared in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered.

The company stated it is not replacing human performers but optimizing how it processes data from live captures. Sony added that the vision, design and emotional impact of its games will always come from the talent of its studios and performers. AI is meant to augment their capabilities rather than replace them, according to the presentation.

Sony has partnered with Bandai Namco to explore how generative AI can support video production for games. The companies reported identifying massive gains in speed and productivity per person during these explorations. They also found areas where AI can produce highly sophisticated and realistic outputs that were previously infeasible due to time constraints.

However, Sony noted weaknesses in current generative AI models, specifically a lack of consistency and controllability. The company said these limitations are under evaluation as it continues testing AI tools across its development pipeline.

PlayStation 5 Sales Decline As part of the same earnings report, Sony said PS5 sales dropped 46 percent year over year after significant price hikes. The hardware performance follows broader industry experimentation with generative AI in larger game titles.