In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Sony’s CEO Kenichiro Yoshida cautioned that cloud-based gaming still faces significant technical hurdles, referring to it as a “very tricky” technology. Despite the challenges, Yoshida emphasized Sony’s determination to overcome these obstacles.
Yoshida stated that Sony intends to explore “various options” to stream PlayStation titles over the internet in the future. He acknowledged that while cloud gaming holds immense potential as a business model, it presents considerable technical difficulties. Latency, the delay between controller input and on-screen response, was cited as the primary concern. Nevertheless, Yoshida emphasized Sony’s commitment to confronting these challenges head-on.
Furthermore, Yoshida addressed the fluctuating popularity of gaming throughout the day, highlighting the financial inefficiency of running cloud gaming services during low player activity. Conversely, a sudden surge in player activity could lead to performance issues. Referring to these periods as “the dark time,” Yoshida noted that Sony had made productive use of these quieter hours for AI learning, drawing parallels with similar challenges faced by Microsoft and Google.
Jim Ryan, the head of PlayStation, shared that the company has ambitious plans for the cloud gaming space, with specific details set to be unveiled in the coming months. Recognizing the increasing importance of mobility in gaming habits, Ryan emphasized the fundamental role of the cloud in capitalizing on this trend.
Sony has been experimenting with cloud features for over a decade, notably with the PlayStation Now service, which has since been integrated into PS Plus. Although cloud gaming currently represents a small portion of the global games market, it is seen as a potential disruptor for the industry’s future.
Regulators have been closely scrutinizing Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard due to concerns over potential monopolistic advantages in the emerging cloud gaming space. The fear is that if the cloud becomes dominant, Microsoft’s position could give rise to a monopoly.
