Sony Applying Patent to Integrate Audience with VR

Virtual Reality, VR, Immersive Technology & Simulated Environment

Sony Applying Patent to Integrate Audience with VR

Recently updated on November 14th, 2021 at 02:42 am

Imagine if you can join or participate in the VR game that played by your friend without you being inside the VR environment. Seems that day will come soon. Recently, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has applied for a patent to integrate the audience participation with the virtual reality content.

The exact title of the patent application is “INTEGRATING AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION CONTENT INTO VIRTUAL REALITY CONTENT” with the application number ’17/069,832′. It was filed by Sony on 13th October 2020.

With the application of the patent being published in the official United States Patent and Trademark Office website on 28th January 2021, it might suggests that Sony still has strong interest in the virtual reality content and platform.

How they want to Integrate Audience with VR?

From the front page of the application submission, the VR player can see the screen inside their headset and the audiences or spectators that are not wearing the headset can also see the related screen using other screens such as television screen or computer monitor screen. Although the audiences are outside of the VR world, they can interact with the VR player by using handheld devices. Maybe something like remote control, game controllers or their own smartphone.

The input from the audiences will correspond to the game played by the VR player. Something like making decision or voting that will impact the next move of the VR player. Either you help them or screw them 😉 This will allow the spectators to participate more actively in the VR game as well.

Below is the picture from the patent application publication. We think it will give more clear picture of how the integrated solution works…

Sony to Integrate Audience with VR Content
Sony to Integrate Audience with VR Content

How the Future Looks Like for this Solution?

For us, this is a very awesome and exciting ideas because all this while VR is mostly played by a single person or in multiplayer mode where all the players must be inside the VR environment. If this idea can be realized, then those outside of the VR world can engage with those inside the VR and interact with them.

It is more useful if the game or application is very fun but some of the members having issues with wearing the VR headset. Maybe due to them easily get nausea, motion sickness or not comfortable wearing it in long hours. In that way, this solution will allow both the VR Headset player and Non-VR Headset player to play or work together. Sounds fun, isn’t it?

Maybe in the near future we can see this capability in the PlayStation VR (PSVR) and PlayStation game console. For more info, you can read it here:

  1. PlayStation Files Patent For Technology That Lets Spectators Mess With You in VR” from IGN.
  2. Patent Application Publication from United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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