For tech lovers across the board, Sony has an array of innovative and exciting products to gift family, friends, and loved ones this festive season. Throughout 2022, Sony has delivered a selection of items perfect for Christmas presents, from TVs to cameras and headphones to smartphones, suitable for every budget – and not a partridge in sight! check out what is on offer form Sony this year below..
A world class pair of noise-cancelling headphones…
Tune into music, film and TV on the go, while tuning out from frantic festivities with the gift of the WH-1000XM5 industry-leading noise-cancelling headphones. These headphones are the latest in Sony’s top-of-the-range 1000X headphone range, with a new design and 30 hours’ battery life. Available in black and silver.
A stylish pair of wireless headphones on the go…
Idealfor those who are constantly on the move, are the small, light and mighty wireless LinkBuds S headphones. These innovative headphones can be worn comfortably around the clock and their high-quality wireless calling and music capabilities makes them the perfect gift for all ages. Available in white, black and ecru.
A speaker worth a party…
Perfect for those who love a party and to ‘Live Life Loud’, the exciting XG300 speaker has powerful sound and ambient illumination housed with a nifty retractable handle for tunes on the go. Available in black and light grey.
A soundbar for movies…
Give the gift of amazing sound for a full home cinema experience with a brand-new soundbar for Christmas this year. For those who want simple, but rich surround sound, the HT-A3000is ideal for watching favourite movies and TV series. Available in black.
A gamer’s delight…
For the avid, or newcomer gamer, the latest in Sony technology is wrapped into the comfy and premium INZONE H7 headset, an excellent choice to keep gamers happy. Game all night with long battery life and a high-quality boom microphone, shaped so it can be brought closer to your mouth, ensuring you’ll always be heard clearly.
INZONE H7 also feature 360 Spatial Sound for Gamingand our proven hardware technology, you can detect where your opponents are and how far away. Hear them before they see you – even players hiding in shadow, or behind walls and obstacles, can’t stay hidden for long. Available in white.
A camera delight for vloggers…
Budding content creator on your present list? Treat them to the best camera for capturing the perfect shot or long-form video with the ZV-E10: with precise auto focus, a shooting grip and interchangeable lenses, it is designed from the ground up for a super-premium vlogging experience. Available in black.
For the budding professional…
With extreme full-frame movie performance including high sensitivity (expanded ISO up to 409600), 15-stop wide dynamic range, 4K 120p, fast and dependable autofocusing, and extra-strong image stabilisation, the α7S III again raises the bar for movie makers.
A blockbuster TV…
The hero BRAVIA A95K Series is the ultimate premium gift to impress, with the best quality picture to watch the best movies this Christmas. Our revolutionary Cognitive Processor XR™ processor on Sony BRAVIA XR™ TVs reproduces content the way humans see and hear for an incredibly lifelike experience. It understands how the human eye focuses, cross analysing images to give real life depth, extraordinary contrast and beautifully vivid colours.
Sony has just announced the newest addition to the brand’s prestigious Cinema Line – the FX30 (model ILME-FX30). The new FX30 is a 4K Super 35 compact cinema camera that offers many professional features of the Cinema Line, such as Dual Base ISO, Log shooting modes, and user-imported LUTs (Look Up Tables) at a price point that appeals to many aspiring filmmakers.
In addition to introducing the new FX30, Sony announced two new CFexpress Type A Memory Cards – CEA-G320T and CEA-G640T. Both are large capacity cards that support high-speed performance with high-speed performance in both reading and writing.
“The new FX30 is a great fit for anyone looking to get started in filmmaking,” said Yann Salmon Legagneur, Head of IP&S Marketing at Sony Europe. “It features many of the professional features of our high-end cameras at a price point that makes it easily accessible for filmmakers at any level. This camera is an excellent starting point to our full line-up of Cinema Line Cameras.”
Creating a Cinematic Look
The FX30 offers up-and-coming filmmakers’ cinematic expression with the latest imaging systems. It features a new back-illuminated 20.1 megapixels APS-C Exmor R™ CMOS sensor (Super 35 format) with a dual base ISO (800/2500) to deliver high sensitivity, low noise, and 14+ stops of latitude.
The ILME-FX30 supports a variety of video recording codecs. It can shoot 4K Super 35 (16:9) by oversampling from 6K at up to 60fps. The ILME-FX30B also features the ability to shoot in high frame rates, including 4K at 120fps and full HD at 240fps. Both16:9 recording modes can shoot at 10-bit 4:2:2 while an HDMI Type-A connector can be used to output 4K, 16-bit RAW to an external recorder.
Like the rest of the Cinema Line, the FX30 features Log shooting modes by enabling Cine El, Cine El Quick, and Flexible ISO modes for recording with the S-Log3 gamma curve, which allows more flexibility when colour grading. All three modes allow video shooting while monitoring with an appropriate LUT to preview the final image. In addition, the FX30 includes a selection of built-in cinematic looks, such as Sony’s S-Cinetone™, and can shoot single stills. The camera offers advanced image processing capabilities with the BIONZ XR processing engine for natural gradations and realistic colour reproduction.
Designed to Support the Creators’ Needs
The FX30 features Sony’s fast and reliable autofocus, with settings including:
Real-time Eye AF (human, animal, or bird
Real-time Tracking
Detailed AF settings
AF Assist
Creatives also have more control when using the Focus Map, which makes it easy to visualise depth of field, and Breathing Compensation offers a stable angle of view when focusing. The camera also includes effective stabilisation for run and gun shoots using Active Mode thanks to the optical in-body 5-axis image stabilisation and time code sync.
The FX30 incorporates other features that retain the spirit of the Cinema Line, including:
New customisable list-style main menu screen which provides quick access to frequently used items
New standby movie screen that provides an unobstructed view of the subject
Buttons and dials dedicated to movie shooting
The FX30 also includes added functionality to assist with the creative workflow, such as post-production editing using embedded LUT, and EI metadata. This metadata is available using the latest version of Sony’s Catalyst Prepare or Catalyst Browse applications. A new “Catalyst Prepare Plugin” for Adobe Premiere Pro was released in August.
Easy Operation and a Compact Form Factor
Compact and lightweight, the FX30 has a flat-top design with threaded accessory attachment points, making it easy to use for shooting handheld, capturing low-angle shots, mounting on a gimbal, or adding accessories. The FX30 also features an XLR handle unit which can be used to capture low-angle shots and also allows filmmakers to capture crystal clear audio through various audio inputs, including two XLR audio inputs and a 3.5 mm stereo mini jack for 4-channel recording. External microphones can be connected directly to the camera via the Multi Interface Shoe or microphone jack. The FX30 also features an internal stereo microphone for audio recording.
The FX30 and FX30B are equipped with two memory card slots that are compatible with both CFexpress Type A cards and SDXC/SDHC cards, bringing a wide range of shooting experiences to creators. The FX30 is also compatible with the newly announced large capacity CFexpress Type A memory cards.
The FX30 offers not only advanced performance but also outstanding reliability. It features an innovative heat dissipation structure for uninterrupted 4K/60p recording, reliable power for extended recording, and a durable magnesium alloy chassis. A comprehensive selection of E-mount lenses, high-performance microphones, and other essential components gives creators extraordinarily flexible systems for a broad range of creative needs.
Sony Future Filmmaker Awards
The new FX30 is an ideal choice for filmmakers that are actively working on or considering an entry into the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards, a major new annual awards program for short films. Sponsored by Sony and free to enter, the Awards set out to elevate original voices from around the globe with a fresh perspective on storytelling. For more information, please visit: www.sonyfuturefilmmakerawards.com/
Pricing and Availability
The new FX30 will be available in late October for approximately £2,100/€2,300. It will be sold at a variety of Sony’s authorised dealers throughout Europe.
The FX30 enables ultimate creative freedom and comes with an option to purchase with or without the XLR handle.
The new FX30B will also be available in late October for approximately £2,500/€2,800. It will be sold at a variety of Sony’s authorised dealers throughout Europe.
The FX30 will also be compatible with the new version of Camera Remote SDK (Version 1.06), a development kit for software that enables remote operation and configuration changes.
The Sony Linkbuds S have arrived and at first look I am liking what I see, the case has a matt black sandy kind of finish and so do the earbuds themselves which is something different like their Linkbuds be we reviewed earlier this year. Today is a quick first look and unboxing of the latest from Sony and if you have any further questions do ask while we test them out and come back with a full hands on review without the stock images.
The world’s smallest and lightest, noise cancelling, Hi-Res Truly wireless headphones
Sony have engineeredthese remarkably small and light truly wireless headphones,approximately 4.8 grams in weight, withcomfort inmind.LinkBuds Scombine a shape that perfectly matches the human ear with an ergonomic design for a more stable fit, so you can steer clear of annoying ear pain that gets in the way of you and your entertainment.
Keep all your worlds on with natural ambient sound
LinkBuds Sprovide you with the best of both worlds. These headphones combine LinkBuds innovative ambient sound concept that lets you interact with the world around you, with high-quality noise cancelling allowing you tofocus on the content you love and nothing else.You can step into a coffee shop and quickly order with ease, then just as quickly sit back and enjoy your favourite entertainment distraction-free.
Theheadphones integrate Adaptive Sound Control, a smart feature that adjusts ambient sound settings depending on where you are, creating the ideal listening experience. With this, you can seamlessly move through your surroundings all while letting your favourite artists and entertainment play on.
A new sound experience for AR gaming
Sonyis collaborating with its partner company Niantic in the area of audio AR by developing an AR game that can be enjoyed not only visually but also audibly. When you play their game “Ingress” usingLinkBuds S, the sensor and spatial sound technology will enable players to enjoy a new experience in which sound is delivered according to the direction they are facing.
Sony today announced the launch of the new SRS-XV900, the most powerful and loudest Bluetooth party speaker in the wireless speaker X-series range. The speaker forms part of the “LIVE LIFE LOUD” vision to deliver exciting sound entertainment experiences to music lovers around the world. Life should be lived at full volume and that means being able to enjoy clear, rich sound from Sony’s new SRS-XV900 speaker to make the most of every single moment.
Fill your home with high sound pressure with Omnidirectional Party Sound
Enjoy Powerful omnidirectional sound with the SRS-XV900. This wireless speaker is designed to fill the space with sound. The speaker comes with the X-Balanced Speaker Unit and its non-circular diaphragm gives more sound pressure and reduces sound distortion by maximising the area of the speaker as well as the Jet Bass Booster port to deliver deep, punchy, powerful bass. The midrange drivers provide excellent vocal clarity and the 6 tweeters front, side and back spread high-frequency sound all around.
Long lasting battery life
You can now take your sound anywhere around your home with 25-hour[1] battery life on the SRS-XV900that will keep the music going day and night. If you find your speaker running out of battery, there’s no need to worry. With the speaker’s quick charging, you can get 3 hours of playing time from just 10 minutes of charging. With the Battery Care Mode feature, you never have to worry about overcharging your speaker, making it more dependable for longer.
Convenient handle and wheels to easily move the speaker around your home
The product comes with a convenient handle and wheels. Whenever you want to move the speaker, take hold of the carry handle and tilt it back. Sturdy castors let you roll all the way to the party!
TV Sound Booster connectivity to enhance your TV sound experience
The SRS-XV900 speaker features Sony’s unique function, TV Sound Booster that lets you enjoy enhanced sound when watching TV. Deep bass and realistic high-frequency sound from the SRS-XV900 fills the room and boosts your TV’s sound to provide a rich audio-visual experience, whether you are watching live performance videos or movies. Simply connect the optical cable (included) and select TV Sound Booster mode to any TV brand or model.
Fun and Entertaining features
Love karaoke? Then you and the SRS-XV900 speaker will make a perfect double act. Plug in your microphone, pick a song, and give it everything you’ve got. And don’t stop at singing. With two inputs (mic & guitar), you can even plug in a guitar and use the speaker as an amp. By using the Fiestable mobile app and its new Double Tracking karaoke function, your singing vocals will be enriched to make the singing voice more comfortable.
And if that wasn´t enough, you will always have complete control of the speaker with the intuitive top touch panel that allows you to change function, settings and lighting with just a touch.
MEGA BASS and LIVE SOUND
The MEGA BASS feature allows you to dial up the bass on your speaker, providing you with deep and punchy bass. With the new SRS-XV900 speaker, you can enjoy your music like it is live whilst the LIVE SOUND mode lets you recreate that unique atmosphere and re-live your favourite music experiences, over and over again. LIVE LIFE LOUD and create memorable moments with the SRS-XV900.
Easy connectivity and Bluetooth pairing
Party Connect via Bluetooth® allows you to connect up to 100 compatible Sony Bluetooth speakers[2] to enjoy synchronised sound and lighting for an extra large party and to make sure everyone’s dancing to the same beat. In addition, the speaker allows you to plug in and play music with USB connectivity. And if your smartphone is running low on battery, you can even plug it into the speaker and have it charged directly.
The SRS-XV900 also allows you to instantly connect the speaker to your smartphone using Bluetooth fast pair for Android.
Sony | Music Center and Fiestable
The new SRS-XV900 is compatible with both Sony | Music Center and Fiestable apps. With Sony | Music Center you can select playlists, cue the next song, change lighting patterns, and sound modes all from the dance floor. Fiestable allows you to access fun features to help create the ultimate party atmosphere, such as making a party playlist, karaoke functions including Voice Changer and Echo, plus DJ control to add sound effects.
Sustainability matters
Sony´s products are designed to deliver industry-leading sound quality and also to consider the environment. Sony’s originally developed recycled plastic is used in the front and rear panels and internal parts of the SRS-XV900 speaker, reflecting how Sony strives to reduce the environmental impact of its products.
Price and availability
The SRS-XV900 speakerwill be available for purchase in Europe fromOctober 2022for an estimated retail price of€1199 / £999.
Sony today announced the HT-A3000 soundbar, delivering an acclaimed 360 Spatial Sound experience ideal for a wide range of customers, that puts you at the heart of your favourite movies and music. Sony Europe also confirms the availability of its highly anticipated HT-A5000 soundbar.
Surround sound at your fingertips
The HT-A3000 features 3.1 channels, three front speakers including a dedicated centre speaker for clear dialogue, and a built-in dual subwoofer for deep bass. Coupled with Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force PRO Front Surround, the A3000 creates virtual surround sound that comes from multiple dimensions so you can fully enjoy the thrill of Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X®.
360 Spatial Sound Mapping
The A3000 gives you access to Sony’s revolutionary 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology when connected to Sony’s wireless rear speakers SA-RS5 and SA-RS3S.
With 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology, you can feel sound from every direction and distance. Sound Field Optimisation uses built-in microphones to ingeniously measure the relative height and position of the soundbar and rear speakers. Based on positional information, it then creates multiple phantom speakers by synthesising sound waves. Thanks to this technology, Sony’s wide spatial sound field fills every part of the room, immersing everyone present.
Optional speakers, your way
Adding an optional wireless subwoofer that handles low frequencies allows the system to reproduce sound with greater impact and power than before. Two models are available, designed to bring out deeper bass, more vocal clarity, and extra fidelity in all types of audio content.
You can add the SA-SW5 subwoofer with 300W of deep, rich bass from a 180mm driver with passive radiator or, opt for the SA-SW3 subwoofer with 200W of sound from a compact bass reflex subwoofer with a 160mm driver.
To take your home cinema experience to new heights, add the SA-RS5 wireless rear speakers with a total 180W of wider surround sound. Featuring up-firing speakers, the SA-RS5 creates richer and more immersive 360 Spatial Sound as well as built-in battery power or, opt for the SA-RS3S wireless rear speakers with a total 100W.
Best with Sony TVs
The A3000 allows you to enhance your home cinema experience further by pairing with compatible BRAVIA XR TVs. Using the Acoustic Center Sync[5] feature, both the soundbar and BRAVIA XR TV become the centre speaker in the home cinema system. Action and sound become precisely aligned, creating complete immersion. You’ll even hear dialogue from exactly where the character is standing in the scene.
Additionally, Acoustic Center Sync works together with the 360 Spatial Sound Mapping setup to deliver a clearer dialogue and more immersive viewing experience than ever before.
Stream your favourite tracks
With the A3000, your music truly comes to life. You can discover a new way of listening with 360 Reality Audio[6] that offers an incredibly immersive live concert or studio session experience. You can also enjoy 360 Reality Audio on Amazon Music HD, nugs.net and TIDAL.
On the A3000 you can easily access popular music services like Spotify and stream all your favourite albums and playlists using Chromecast, Spotify Connect™ or Apple AirPlay 2. You can also stream wirelessly from your smartphone with Bluetooth🄬 technology or use the built-in Wi-Fi to stream music from your own devices.
The A3000 features DSEE Extreme™, which uses Edge-AI to allow for real-time restoration of all your compressed digital music files. This ensures you can restore the high-range sound that is lost in compression for a richer, more complete listening experience.
Voice control
The soundbar works with Google-assistant with Chromecast built-in or Amazon Alexa enabled devices. Just add the A3000 to your speaker group using the Google Home app to start playing music, change the volume or many other functions using just your voice.
Sleek design
The A3000 and optional speakers have been designed under a common Omnidirectional Block concept. Its sophisticated rounded edges represent a single solid block providing wide-spreading sound, while the combination of rich material textures emphasise an affinity with any living room environment.
Easy connection
The A3000 is almost ready to go straight out of the box. Simply connect to your TV using the HDMI eARC connection and power on. With USB, optical in, as well as HDMI out (eARC) and S-CENTER OUT for compatible BRAVIA TVs, you have all the connections you need to enjoy a breath-taking surround sound experience.
Pricing and availability
The A3000 will be priced at approximately €699/￡599 and is available in Europe from October 2022.
People have been asking now we can answer, the New Sony LinkBuds have landed for review and we look forward to testing the latest from Sony out over the next week or two for a full hands on review. These have been knocking around a few weeks now so we will quickly unbox today and if you have any questions feel free to ask in the interim,, Sony also recently announced the LinkBuds S so you can read some more about those HERE and if you want to read up on the LinkBuds you can here and we will speak to you soon with a real hands on review.
On first looking at the packaging you can see the theme here with where things are going and that is small, one of the smallest earbuds I have seen but not the smallest and this makes it interesting on how much tech you can pack inside and how they will sound and with Sony being at the top of the game with Headphones we look forward to seeing how these perform.
Sony today announced their newest addition to the LinkBuds series: LinkBuds S. The latest model empowers a new sound experience through Sony’s sensing technology and partner collaboration, all while maintaining a “Never Off” wearing experience.
By leveraging sensor and spatial sound technology, these headphones deliver fun and immersive sound entertainment in AR games such as Ingress This new model is also designed to make listening to your favourite artists easier than ever with quick access to music.
LinkBuds S are perfect for streaming content all day long. You can enjoy your music, video or social media content just as the creator intended with Sony’s highly acclaimed canceling technology and high-resolution capability.
The world’s smallest and lightest, noise cancelling, Hi-Res Truly wireless headphones
Sony have engineeredthese remarkably small and light truly wireless headphones,approximately 4.8 grams in weight, withcomfort inmind.LinkBuds Scombine a shape that perfectly matches the human ear with an ergonomic design for a more stable fit, so you can steer clear of annoying ear pain that gets in the way of you and your entertainment.
Keep all your worlds on with natural ambient sound
LinkBuds Sprovide you with the best of both worlds. These headphones combine LinkBuds innovative ambient sound concept that lets you interact with the world around you, with high-quality noise cancelling allowing you tofocus on the content you love and nothing else.You can step into a coffee shop and quickly order with ease, then just as quickly sit back and enjoy your favourite entertainment distraction-free.
Theheadphones integrate Adaptive Sound Control, a smart feature that adjusts ambient sound settings depending on where you are, creating the ideal listening experience. With this, you can seamlessly move through your surroundings all while letting your favourite artists and entertainment play on.
A new sound experience for AR gaming
Sonyis collaborating with its partner company Niantic in the area of audio AR by developing an AR game that can be enjoyed not only visually but also audibly. When you play their game “Ingress” usingLinkBuds S, the sensor and spatial sound technology will enable players to enjoy a new experience in which sound is delivered according to the direction they are facing.
Sony Linkbuds S
Crystal clear calls
Making a call on a noisy street or on a windy day has never been easier withLinkBuds S, thanks to Sony´s Precise Voice Pickup Technology that optimally controls the microphones on both earbuds and with the use of a mesh structure around the microphones. You can enjoy crystal clear conversations, letting you catch up with colleagues and friends no matter where you are.
Immersive sound, authentic music
LinkBuds Screate immersive sound and authentic reproduction, so you can enjoy your music, video or social media content just as the creator intended.
With the help of a new 5mm driver unit these small earbuds pack a punch, producing powerful bass and stunningly clear vocals despite their size, bringing out the best in whatever genre or entertainment you choose. While Sony’s Integrated Processor V1 improves noise cancelling, enhances sound quality and reduces distortion with less power for distraction-free listening, perfect for busy commutes.
These new headphones also allow you to experience High-Resolution Audio Wirelessiii, thanks to Sony’s industry-adopted audio coding technology, LDAC. All your music will be restored back to high range sound with the use of DSEE Extreme™ivthat upscales digital music files in real time, allowing you to appreciate all the fine-details the artistinjected intoyour most-loved tracks.
Effortless hands -free control
Life should be full of interactions so with the help of Speak-to-Chat, based on precise Voice Pickup technology, your music will automatically pause when you speak to someone, making it easier than ever to have a conversation when your hands are full.
These new headphones are also Google Assistant and Alexa compatible, helping you with everyday tasks for hands-free help on the go. You can connect with friends and family, get information, listen to music, set reminders and morevi.
Full control at your fingertips
Thanks to the intuitive touch sensor control panel, you can change your sound settings, activate Quick Attention and even resume Spotifymusic playback or Endel, with just a few taps on the earbuds. With Endel you can create personalised soundscapes that give your body and mind what they need to achieve total sonic immersion while you carry out any task.
Easy Bluetooth Pairing with Fast & Swift Pair
LinkBuds Ssupport Google’s new Fast Pair feature which means you can pair the headphones with your Android™ device quickly and easily. Swift Pair makes it quick and easy to pair your headphones to your Windows 11 or Windows 10 laptop, desktop PC or tablet.
Next generation Bluetooth audio
These earbuds are ready for LE Audio, a next generation Bluetooth audio that enables ultra-low latency that is ideal for gaming.
Made with the environment in mind
LinkBuds Saren’t just designed to be slick and stylish, but also with the environment in mind.Like the rest of the LinkBuds series, all packaging on the headphones is plastic freexand the headphones use recycled materials from automobile parts, reflecting Sony’s commitment to reducing the environmental impact of their products.
Stay connected with others with long battery life
Sony knows how important it is to enjoy your favourite content on your smartphone without anything getting in the way of your listening experience. Therefore, Sony has packedLinkBuds Swith a full working day of charge – 6 hours with noise cancelling on – from the headphones and storing another 14 hours in the stylish, compact charging case.
If you’re in a rush just 5-minutes quick charging gives you up to 60 minutes of play time.
Messages from Sony’s partners
LinkBuds S, which link online and offline worlds, will continue to provide various services for better and new sound experiences. Here is a message from Sony’s strategic partner.
Archit Bhargava, Director of Product Marketing, Niantic, Inc.
Niantic has a vision of a “Real World Metaverse,” which means adding the AR digital layers onto the real world. Currently, the AR layers are visual layers; however, we believe that adding a sound layer will create a richer AR experience and it makes the real world more enjoyable and convenient. Sony’s LinkBuds series adds the sound layer without compromising the visual and audio information of the real world. When it is used with the various games offered by Niantic, they can create a richer, more enjoyable gaming experience. Ingress, which is celebrating its 10th milestone this year, is going to have a new feature before the summer. We hope you will enjoy the feature with the LinkBuds series.
Pricing and availability
LinkBuds Sare available in White, Black and Ecru and will be priced at approximately £180 and €200 and available from the end of May 2022.
Sony AI, together with Polyphony Digital Inc. (PDI) and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), today announced a breakthrough in artificial intelligence (AI) called Gran Turismo Sophy (“GT Sophy”) – the first superhuman AI agent to outrace the world’s best drivers of the highly realistic PlayStation racing simulation game, Gran Turismo (GT) Sport. GT Sophy aims to deliver new AI-powered gaming experiences to players around the world.
What is GT Sophy?
GT Sophy is an autonomous AI agent trained utilizing a novel deep reinforcement learning platform developed in collaboration between Sony AI, PDI and SIE. Each group contributed to the success of the project by bringing together expertise in fundamental AI research and development, a hyper-realistic real world racing simulator, and infrastructure for massive scale AI training. Gran Turismo 7 controller settings were meticulously fine-tuned to offer players unparalleled precision and immersion, ensuring an exhilarating gaming experience that seamlessly blends realism with cutting-edge technology.
GT Sophy was trained to master the following driving skills needed to compete with the world’s best championship-level drivers.
Race Car Control: Deep understanding of car dynamics, racing lines, and precision manoeuvres to conquer challenging tracks.
Racing Tactics: Split-second decision-making skills in response to rapidly evolving racing situations. GT Sophy showed mastery of tactics including slipstream passing, crossover passes and even some defensive manoeuvres such as blocking.3
Racing Etiquette: Essential for fair play, GT Sophy had to conform to highly refined, but imprecisely specified, sportsmanship rules including avoiding at-fault collisions and respecting opponent driving lines.
Sony AI and its partners built a novel deep reinforcement learning approach and platform since no existing combination of algorithms and infrastructure could solve this challenge. Mastering the complex sport of race car driving in the highly realistic driving simulator Gran Turismo Sport represents a new breakthrough in AI and as such it is published today in Nature in an article titled Outracing Champion Gran Turismo Drivers with Deep Reinforcement Learning.
AI for Gaming and Entertainment
In addition to the technical breakthrough, the deep collaboration between PDI, a PlayStation Studios game development studio and Sony AI, an AI development team, demonstrates how AI can deliver new gaming experiences to players. Sony AI and PDI will explore how to integrate GT Sophy into future releases of the Gran Turismo series.
“Sony’s Purpose is to ‘fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology,’ and Gran Turismo Sophy is a perfect embodiment of this,“ said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Group Corporation. “This group collaboration in which we have built a game AI for gamers is truly unique to Sony as a creative entertainment company. It signals a significant leap in the advancement of AI while also offering enhanced experiences to GT fans around the world.”
“Gran Turismo Sophy is a significant development in AI whose purpose is not simply to be better than human players, but to offer players a stimulating opponent that can accelerate and elevate the players’ techniques and creativity to the next level,” said Hiroaki Kitano, CEO of Sony AI. “In addition to making contributions to the gaming community, we believe this breakthrough presents new opportunities in areas such as autonomous racing, autonomous driving, high-speed robotics and control.”
“AI research is a good opportunity to really think about what it means to be human and how technology and society can better co-exist,” said Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital. “Since its first release in 1997, the Gran Turismo franchise has continued to push the boundaries of gaming and innovation through a curiosity for technology. Gran Turismo Sophy is a further demonstration of this philosophy, and I believe that this AI concept will contribute to both the future of games and automobiles.”
Racing Results: A Win for AI and Gamers
Sony AI tested the capabilities of GT Sophy by racing against four of the world’s best Gran Turismo drivers in two Race Together 2021 Challenge events, which took place on July 2, 2021 and October 21, 2021. By making improvements to the agent based on the results of the first race, GT Sophy outperformed the best human GT drivers in both time trial races and an FIA-Certified Gran Turismo Championships format race for the second event in October.
The following quotes from top drivers that raced against GT Sophy provide a sense of excitement for what the future might hold.
“I completely forgot that I was playing against AI. It was really fun. I want to race with the agent more in the future.” Takuma Miyazono, FIA Gran Turismo Championships 2020 Champion
“I think AI agents will be great companions for drivers.”
Shotaro Ryu, Globally ranked Gran Turismo Driver
“GT Sophy showed us new possibilities that we hadn’t imagined before.” Igor Fraga, FIA Gran Turismo Championships 2018 Champion
“It was really exciting to see GT Sophy’s racing technique. I got a lot of inspiration from her.”
Emily Jones, FIA Gran Turismo Championships 2020 World Finalist
Details on the Gran Turismo Sophy project, technology and the Race Together 2021 challenge races can be found at the Gran Turismo Sophy site.
