Abstract: A visual perception assistance apparatus includes a rendering unit configured to render, for display, a virtual environment, the virtual environment comprising one or more virtual elements; a selection unit configured to select one or more of the virtual elements; and an adapting unit configured to, for a given selected virtual element, adapt one or more aspects associated with an appearance of the given selected virtual element in dependence upon a distance between the given selected virtual element and a predetermined location within the virtual environment.

Abstract: A method performed by a processing apparatus for determining a first latency is provided. The method includes processing one or more captured images comprising an input device operated by a user to determine a first reference time at which the user operated the input device to provide an input signal to the processing apparatus. The method includes receiving the input signal. The method includes determining a first latency between the determined first reference time at which the user operated the input device to provide the input signal and a time at which the input signal is received by the processing apparatus.

Abstract: A method performed by a first mobile device for guiding travel of a first user of the first mobile device provided. The method includes wirelessly communicating with a second mobile device of a second user. The method includes determining, based on the communication with the second mobile device, location information of the second mobile device. The method includes determining, based on the location information of the second mobile device, a recommended travel path for the first user. The method includes providing an indication of the recommended travel path to the first user.

Abstract: A method of operating a multiplayer game comprises the steps of, on a host device, running the multiplayer game configured as two separate processes, the first process being a gameplay logic application that manages progress of the game according to the game's rules; and the second process being a gameplay output application that manages the presentation of the game to a user at their device; wherein the gameplay logic application is operable to manage progress of the multiplayer game for a plurality of users, detecting if the gameplay output application stops normal operation whilst the gameplay logic application is managing progress of the multiplayer game for at least a predetermined number of other users of remote devices, and if so, continuing to operate the gameplay logic application despite the stopping of the other part of the same multiplayer game on the host device.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for rendering graphics data of a 3D scene on a video gaming system comprising a GPU, the method comprising: obtaining lightmap data of the 3D scene; identifying a plurality of scene wavelengths based on the lightmap data, wherein the plurality of scene wavelengths are wavelengths that meet a threshold contribution to the 3D scene; and rendering the scene based on the plurality of scene wavelengths.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a computer-implemented method for generating a set of graphics shaders for rendering a required set of graphical components, comprising: providing a first set of graphics shaders, wherein each graphics shader in the first set is configured to render a different graphical component; and combining a plurality of the graphics shaders in the first set to produce a second set of graphics shaders, such that the second set comprises fewer graphics shaders than the first set, wherein the plurality of graphics shaders are combined into the second set such that a measured property of the second set meets a predetermined criterion.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for animating a model in a video game, the method comprising: obtaining an activity status of the model; obtaining location information of the model, the location information comprising an in-game distance between the model and a viewpoint of the user; selecting, from a database of animations and based on the activity status and the location information, a first animation corresponding to the activity status of the model, the database of animations comprising a plurality of animations corresponding to the activity status of the model, wherein the plurality of animations are different complexity animations; and determining a pose of the model in a scene using the selected first animation. The method prevents unnecessarily complex animations being used and so increases the processing and resource efficiency of animating a model in a video game.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus comprising circuitry configured to: obtain a first version of a texture having a first quality level; generate, using the first version of the texture, a prediction of a second version of the texture having a second quality level, the second quality level being higher in quality than the first quality level; and output, for display, the prediction of the second version of the texture.

Abstract: Methods and systems for adjusting the rendering of display content by a video gaming system during gameplay are provided. A computer implemented method comprises rendering, by the video gaming system, first display content associated with the gameplay; detecting, by a gaze tracking device of the video gaming system, a blink event of a user; and in response to the detecting the blink event, adjusting, by the video gaming system, a rendering of second display content, wherein the second display content comprises display content associated with the gameplay occurring during the blink event and after display of the first display content, so as to reduce a usage of processing resources of the video gaming system in rendering the second display content.

Abstract: A method for indicating real and virtual objects during display of a virtual environment on a virtual reality, VR, headset, the method comprising: obtaining real-time data derived from monitoring a real-world environment associated with the VR headset; obtaining virtual display data representing one or more virtual objects within the virtual environment; analysing at least one of the real-time data and virtual display data to identify at least one target object in the data; classifying the object type of the at least one target object, the object type being either a real object or a virtual object; providing to the user an indication of the object type of the at least one target object, during display of a virtual environment.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a peripheral device for a video game device, the peripheral device comprising: a main reservoir configured to be filled with fluid, and a distribution system connected to the main reservoir and configured to transport fluid to and from the main reservoir, wherein, in use, fluid is transported to and from the main reservoir to adjust a property of the peripheral device.

Abstract: An audio reproduction system for reproducing an audio signal comprises headphones, comprising in turn at least a first loudspeaker, and at least a first airflow generator configured to generate airflow toward a respective ear of a user of the headphones; and the system also comprises an airflow controller, configured to control the airflow generated by the at least first airflow generator, responsive to at least a first aspect of the audio signal.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus comprising circuitry configured to: receive, for each of one or more first users of a video game, attention data indicative of a region of attention of each first user in a respective first video image of the video game; determine, based on the attention data, an object of attention in the video game of the one or more first users; and generate rendering control data to control, in a second video image of the video game generated for a second, different, user of the video game, rendering of the object of attention with a characteristic distinguishing the object of attention from other objects rendered in the second video image.

Abstract: A content obtaining system for obtaining content comprising a plurality of files, the system comprising, a database obtaining unit configured to obtain a database of unique identifiers corresponding to respective files stored by the content obtaining system, an identifier receiving unit configured to receive unique identifiers for one or more of the plurality of files in the content to be obtained, an identifier comparison unit configured to compare the received unique identifiers with the database, and to identify whether any of the identifiers match, and a content management unit configured to, in the case that there is no match for a given identifier, obtain and store the corresponding file for that identifier, and, in the case that there is a match for a given identifier, generate and store a reference to the location of the file stored by the content obtaining system for which the match was identified.

Abstract: Techniques for managing storing textures corresponding to respective content are described. In an example, a system identifies a texture to be stored at a device, the texture associated with first content. The system identifies a degree of perceptual similarity between texture associated with the first content and each of one or more candidate textures associated with content other than the first content, the one or more candidate textures stored at the device. The perceptual equivalence between textures is identified in response to an above-threshold degree of perceptual similarity identified for those textures. When a perceptual equivalence is identified between the texture associated with the first content and a candidate texture, the system generates and stores a pointer directed toward that candidate texture instead of texture associated with the first content. When no perceptual equivalence is identified, the system stores the texture associated with the first content.

Abstract: A method of image adjustment for an image sequence, comprises the steps of generating a first estimate, of the gaze positions of multiple viewers of an image, modifying a distribution of image quality for an image, responsive to the first estimate, and providing the image to the multiple viewers, generating a second estimate, of the effect of modifying the distribution of image quality on the gaze positions of at least a subset of viewers, and modifying the distribution of image quality for a subsequent image, responsive to the second estimate.

Abstract: Described herein is a computer-implemented method for signalling a directional hint to a video game player of a video game system, comprising: obtaining (102), by the video game system, positional data; generating (104), based on the positional data, by a processor of the video game system, a directional hint to be signalled to the video game player; receiving (106), at a peripheral device of the video game system, the directional hint; and actuating (108) a moveable weight of the peripheral device in the direction of the directional hint, thereby biasing the weight distribution of the peripheral device in the direction of the directional hint.

Abstract: A gaming headset comprising a processing unit configured to: receive incomplete video frame data, representing a first portion of a video frame; predict video frame data by applying a machine learning algorithm to the incomplete video frame data to generate predicted video frame data; combine the incomplete video frame data and predicted video frame data to generate complete video frame data representing a whole video frame; output the complete video frame data to a display.

Abstract: A system for tracking a gaze direction of a user, the system comprising: a lens mountable on the surface of a user's eye, wherein the lens comprises a reflective element configured to reflect at least a portion of light incident on the lens; a photosensor configured to detect the reflected light; a processor configured to receive data from the photosensor and generate tracking information based on the detected reflected light so as to determine gaze directions of the user's eye.

Abstract: Described herein is a system for transmitting data to a virtual reality headset. The system comprises a video game console; a laser array comprising one or more lasers, wherein the video game console is configured to transmit console data to the laser array; and a virtual reality headset comprising one or more headset sensors, wherein the laser array is configured to transmit the console data to the one or more headset sensors via the one or more lasers of the laser array.