Technology - Google News

PS5 Will Innovate How Game Audio Is Processed - Push Square

Posted: 16 Apr 2019 05:50 AM PDT

One of the things that frustrated system architect Mark Cerny during the transition from the PlayStation 3 to the PlayStation 4 is how audio didn't really change. It's one of the things he's trying to rectify with the PlayStation 5, and Sony's new console will come with a custom chip designed specifically to deliver 3D audio. "With the next console the dream is to show how dramatically different the audio experience can be when we apply significant amounts of hardware horsepower to it," he told Wired.

The platform holder has already dabbled in this kind of technology with PlayStation VR, but it sounds like the company wants to bring 3D audio to all experiences. The console will process audio in such a way that you'll be able to determine whether sound is coming from above you or behind you, all leading to a greater sense of "presence" in the game world itself. It'll all work through standard speakers and surround sound, but you'll get the best experience through headphones.

This is all very exciting to us. The way sound is processed in PSVR is a game changer, and it's great to see Sony investing extra effort into this often overlooked area. If you play a game like Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, for example, you can really get a feel for the difference 3D audio makes to an experience. We can't wait to sample all this first-hand on the PS5 when it launches next year.

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A Dutch competition authority is investigating Apple, Google for the possibility of app-store monopoly - Notebookcheck.net

Posted: 15 Apr 2019 10:48 AM PDT

The ACM is investigating the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. (Source: ACM)

Google and Apple provide and maintain 2 of the largest app markets in the world. The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets has decided to investigate them with regard to how third-party developers are treated on these platforms compared to their respective first-party counterparts.

by Deirdre O Donnell, 2019/04/15

The Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) is the Netherlands' body for the promotion and conservation of competition and choice on open markets. It has announced that Google and Apple are now being assessed for certain practices related to their App Store and Play Store respectively.

The ACM is investigating the 2 platforms as the majority of developers worldwide are dependent on them to distribute or vend their work onto mobile devices. Therefore, the possibility of Google or Apple abusing their position in order to privilege its own apps could result in considerable adversity for independent providers.

The body has posted a release calling on these studios or individuals to come forward if they have any evidence of anti-competition behavior on the part of either software heavyweight. Indeed, some may have already made such allegations, relating to practices such as publication fees that apply to third-party apps only or that involve default installations for first-party apps.

For a high-profile, prominent example of these concerns, look no further than Spotify and its "Time to Play Fair" campaign in relation to the App Store. Then again, Google may have already addressed its own issues in this area, by instituting new policies by which its typical pre-installs must be licensed, and by providing users with the option to select browser and search apps besides its own during a device's first boot. Both measures apply to Europe only, however, following the company's defeat in anti-trust suits brought against it by the European Commission.

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