Sony is looking to tackle climate change with ‘PS5’ and PSVR.
Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan confirmed as much in a recent PlayStation Blog post. Ryan confirmed that he will be attending the UN Climate Summit as part of the Playing for the Planet alliance. There, he and other industry leaders will discuss making the games industry more sustainable. However, Sony is already working to make its next PlayStation exactly that.
Ryan confirmed that “the next PlayStation console” will use much less power when suspending gameplay. “If just one million users enable this feature, it would save equivalent to the average electricity use of 1,000 US homes,” Ryan wrote.
Sony confirmed it was making another PlayStation console next year. We’re not expecting a more official reveal until sometime in 2020, however.
Of particular note to VR fans, though, is the possibility of new PSVR apps exploring climate change. Ryan said the company was exploring the “potential” of apps that “raise awareness of climate issues and climate experts.”
VR is already being used to raise climate awareness elsewhere (more on that later today). The platform’s immersive nature has led many creatives to explore how it can increase empathy and awareness for current issues. PSVR is primarily a gaming platform, so we’d be interested to see if Sony came up with more interactive types of experiences than, say, a 360 degree video.
“The gaming community is diverse and growing at a fast pace,” Ryan concluded. “There is an undeniable opportunity for leaders in the games industry to take a stand and support the UN Environment team by communicating the importance of preserving natural resources for generations to come.”
