Ps3 Maven

Could Sony Be Bringing Eye-Tracking Tech to the PS4?

As motion control and facial recognition become big features for games and interactive mediums, Sony are reportedly working on eye-tracking tech for the PS4.

On the PS4’s rival console, the Xbox One, made by competitor Microsoft, one big talking point is that it comes packaged with Kinect, a camera that tracks user movements and allows for motion controlled gaming as well as speech and facial recognition. While many have protested against Kinect as it increases the price of the Microsoft machine, others are saying that it brings an awful lot to the games that it works with. The PS4 Eye, the PS4 camera add-on that also recognises speech and faces, will need to do more in order to compete and as a result, Sony are reportedly working on eye-tracking technology.

While said to be in its early stages, the eye-tracking technology, which is being worked on by Sensomotoric Instruments (SMI) and Sony’s Magic Lab, the research and development wing of Sony that’s responsible for the PS Eye camera, Sony’s Move motion controllers and the DualShock 4 (the upgraded controller that the PS4 uses) could have a big impact on games. Working with SMI’s Red-oem tech, a platform that offers eye tracking, the research could eradicate the often found problem of poor camera angles in games, giving the game the ability to change the camera angle according to the user’s cornea movements.

As a prototype, the offered features in the end product are yet to be finalised, but they could also amount to something that replaces aiming, which would be particularly useful in shooters, giving players the option to move their eyeballs faster than their thumbs can move the analogue sticks. What the tech may look like in a physical form is also up for speculation but early suggestions point to a bar that sits in front of you, analysing where you’re looking and then inputting that into the game.

Watch a video of Sony’s Magic Lab discussing the technology below.

http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/0hu5h0/playstation-4-magic-labs-behind-the-scenes

We’ll keep you posted once we know more.

Source: Digital Trends

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