The best way to immerse the player in a video game is by utilizing all their senses, which is exactly what Sony plans to do with the PlayStation 5. On May 22nd, 2020 Sony filed a new patent named “Dynamic Music Creation in Gaming“. The true meaning behind the patent is still a little foggy, but we can still infer what it could be. After all, it’s just a patent and not confirmed for their next-gen console.
In their recent corporate strategy meeting, Sony began to discuss what the evolution of sound in next-gen consoles would be, stating,
By installing a customized 3D audio processing unit in PS5, we have made it possible to deliver diverse and sophisticated 3D audio experiences. Players can experience sound that moves from in front to behind, above to below and all around them.
This new 3D sound system makes Sony’s new music patent seem much more likely to come to fruition. Although, when reading up on the patent, this new technology denotes something much more mysterious. The patent explicitly states that music creation and human emotions would be tied together. In a sense, the music in future games will be able to make us feel certain emotions, based on what the composers and developers want us to feel during that scene.
If you squint your eyes, this chart makes a little bit of sense.
This could very well be just a patent that comes and goes. Otherwise, it would be quite interesting to see if this new way of creating 3D sound and dynamic music could really help developers make us players feel the true meaning behind scenes. Whether it’s a tense fight scene or a serene, emotional moment, Sony knows exactly how to tug at players’ heartstrings—and even their wallets.
