PlayStation just snapped up a British AI startup to supercharge its graphics tech
Sony Interactive Entertainment has acquired Cinemersive Labs, a small UK-based startup specialising in machine learning and computer vision, the company announced Thursday (2 April).
The deal, though terms were not disclosed, bolsters PlayStation’s push into advanced visual computing as the console maker ramps up AI-driven graphics improvements.
Cinemersive Labs, founded in 2022 and based in Edinburgh, develops patent-pending technology that turns ordinary photos or videos – even those captured with a single smartphone camera – into immersive, volumetric 3D experiences with six degrees of freedom.
Users can move their head naturally within a scene, creating a more realistic sense of depth and presence without the motion sickness often associated with traditional VR content.
The company’s apps, such as Cinemersive Photos on Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro, demonstrate the tech in action, converting flat images or stereo photos into explorable 3D environments using generative AI pipelines trained on large datasets.
The startup’s small team of experts in computer vision and machine learning will join Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Visual Computing Group (VCG), an internal R&D unit focused on pushing the boundaries of graphics and immersion in games.
Sony said the acquisition will help advance “state-of-the-art visual computing within games,” contributing to richer, more immersive gameplay experiences.
This move comes as PlayStation accelerates its AI efforts in graphics. Just weeks ago, PlayStation lead system architect Mark Cerny confirmed that machine learning-based frame generation technology, which uses AI to create synthetic “in-between” frames for smoother performance, is in development for future “PlayStation platforms.”
The work builds on the company’s ongoing Project Amethyst collaboration with AMD, which has already delivered improvements to PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), the AI upscaling tech powering the PS5 Pro.
Potential applications include more dynamic lighting and reflections, enhanced character or environment rendering, better support for mixed-reality experiences, or even new forms of user-generated content and cinematic storytelling in games.
Sony has a track record of acquiring niche AI and graphics talent to strengthen its first-party capabilities. The company previously bought iSIZE, another AI-focused video tech firm, in 2023.
The addition of Cinemersive Labs signals continued investment in software and algorithmic innovation alongside hardware advancements, especially as the industry eyes the next console generation.
