Sony brings climate change education to PlayStation 5 & VR2
Sony Interactive Entertainment has launched Climate Station, an application designed to enhance understanding of climate change, now available for free on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation VR2.
This initiative forms part of Sony Interactive Entertainment's wider commitment to the Playing for the Planet Alliance, which unites members of the gaming industry in working towards sustainability objectives, as initially presented at the United Nations Climate Summit in 2019.
Climate Station invites users to delve into complex climate data through interactive and immersive technologies. The application features three primary modules: Weather Year, Observations, and Projections, as well as an Explainer Library.
Application features
Weather Year offers a visual journey through the meteorological events of 2019, highlighting the interconnected weather systems of Earth. Observations deliver access to 120 years of climate data, referencing temperature records from thousands of locations to illustrate long-term warming trends. Projections utilise data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)-approved models, enabling users to examine the impact of various future scenarios on the global climate up to the end of the 21st century.
The Explainer Library complements these experiences with 90 minutes of multimedia content dedicated to clarifying the science underpinning climate change. This approach is designed to address the challenge of presenting scientific data in a way that is engaging for users of all ages.
Data within Climate Station draws upon a range of expert sources, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Berkeley Earth, the Climate Research Unit, and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP).
Expert involvement
Veteran meteorologist Laura Tobin contributed as a consultant and narrator for the project. Discussing her involvement, she said: "As a meteorologist, I report on weather and climate and over the last 20 years I've seen the increased frequency and intensity of severe weather around the world. More and more records are being broken, often in remote parts of the globe but in recent years it's hitting closer to home. I'm immensely proud of our collaboration on Climate Station. We want audiences to learn more about our amazing planet, use the latest science to see what is really happening, and finally have a greater understanding and appreciation of why change is needed."
Climate Station can be used in both private homes and educational or research contexts. The interactive nature of the application aims to make complex datasets more accessible and easier to understand for a broad audience.
Kieren Mayers, Vice President of Environmental, Social, and Governance at Sony Interactive Entertainment, stated that the company's work with the Playing for the Planet Alliance and ongoing environmental commitments underpin this release. SIE continues to pursue the Road to Zero plan, targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, and improving the energy efficiency of its hardware and data centres.
Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division at the United Nations Environment Programme, welcomed the launch, commenting: "Bringing climate awareness into the homes of millions through gaming will help build both knowledge and action to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. The approach to adapt the science into a game format has been impressive. We look forward to seeing how players react to this new tool and also recognise the leadership of Sony Interactive Entertainment in bringing climate science to consoles across the planet."
Educational focus
Information from the IGEA NZ Plays (2023) report indicates a growing interest among New Zealanders in using gaming for educational purposes, a trend which SIE seeks to support through Climate Station.
The company and project collaborators have expressed their aim to not only inform but also inspire players about the choices that can shape the future climate. The application aims to empower users with a sense of agency and a deeper understanding of current scientific perspectives on climate change.
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