Sony patent turns game audio into visual cues for deaf players

Sony Interactive Entertainment published a patent application for a system that classifies in-game sounds by intent and shows matching visual cues such as icons, shapes or onomatopoeic words like "Roar!". Color and brightness follow volume, while directional LEDs around the display or the DualSense touchpad indicate where a sound comes from. The application was published on October 22 as a continuation of a US filing from May 2023.

• System classifies sounds as fear, danger or environmental description
• Directional LEDs around the display or DualSense touchpad show sound origin
• Cue color, brightness and transparency follow the sound's volume
• Legacy games supported via OS or helper app without code changes