CES® 2022 was held in Las Vegas on January 4, kicking off the start of a new year. At Sony's press conference, speakers including Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida introduced a number of initiatives that aim to contribute to the enhancement of two values: the value of the space in which people are present, and the value of the content that creators create. The following is a summary of Sony's press conference, and the technologies and initiatives introduce therein that will create new value to “fill the world with emotion.”

Two years that reaffirmed the importance of
Sony's "Purpose"

"Throughout the past two challenging years, we have reaffirmed the importance of our Purpose － to fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology… With everything we do, we want to enable people to connect more deeply with those who share the same interests and form stronger bonds within their communities." CES® 2022 was held in-person in Las Vegas for the first time in two years. Speaking at a press conference prior to the exhibition's public opening, CEO Kenichiro Yoshida shared how Sony, as a creative entertainment company, is working to "get closer to people" based on its Purpose.

Getting closer to creators － supporting creative activities with technology

As examples of initiatives that support the creation efforts of creators, Sony presented Virtual Production, which creates a space for content creation using computer graphics generated in real-time, freeing creators from the limitations of time and location when filming; Airpeak, a professional-use drone that enables new video expression; and the Xperia PRO-I, a smartphone equipped with a 1.0 image sensor, delivering the best in camera performance. These technologies and initiatives introduced by Yoshida are part of Sony’s efforts in “getting closer to creators,” leveraging both real and virtual spaces to make the concept “Creativity Has No Limits” a reality for creators.

PlayStation Productions － A new form of entertainment through group collaboration

PlayStation Productions is a group collaboration between Sony Pictures Entertainment ("SPE") and Sony Interactive Entertainment ("SIE") to produce films and television programs based on the IP of PlayStation® game titles. The significance of this collaboration was discussed in anticipation of the release of its first feature film, “Uncharted,” which will be simultaneously released in the US and Japan on February 18 this year. Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of SPE Motion Picture Group, and the film’s lead actor Tom Holland took to the stage to talk about the film adaptation of the popular game. Please stay tuned to the Corporate Blog for an inside look at PlayStation Productions' efforts to create films from game IP that will coincide with the theatrical release of “Uncharted.”

Creating new value through spatial technology

SIE President and CEO Jim Ryan then took to the stage to unveil PlayStation®VR2, the next generation virtual reality system for PlayStation®5 that will deliver an unprecedented experience and immersion into the world of games, and the PlayStation VR2 Sense™ controller. He also announced “Horizon Call of the Mountain,” the latest title in the globally successful Horizon series, as an exclusive title for PlayStation VR2.

Yoshida returned to the stage to introduce Sony’s community-building initiatives in the realm of sports, including Sony Group company Hawk-Eye Innovations' player tracking and data visualization system and a partnership with Manchester City Football Club to create the next generation of online fan communities through combing the real and virtual worlds. Yoshida stated, "Shared experiences of game play and sports are excellent examples of our ability to enable users to seamlessly shift from one place to another. As we look towards the future,
we continue to see possibilities for new, and exciting social entertainment spaces."

The evolution of mobility

"With our imaging & sensing, cloud, 5G, and entertainment technologies, combined with our content mastery, we believe Sony is well-positioned as a creative entertainment company to redefine mobility." Yoshida concluded Sony’s press conference by speaking of the company’s contributions to the evolution of mobility. “Since the launch of VISION-S at the 2020 CES, we have continued to think about how we can transform the experience of mobility through creativity and technology," he said, showing off a new prototype SUV-type vehicle (VISION-S 02).　Sony plans to establish a new operating company, Sony Mobility Inc., in the spring of 2022 to fully explore entry into EV market, and to create new value in various fields using AI and robotics technologies.