Sony's New Playerbase Program Scans PlayStation Fans Into Games

This Tuesday, Sony announced The Playerbase, a new program that scans fans and puts their lookalike characters into PlayStation games. The program is positioned as a way for Sony to "celebrate [its] gaming community, which has a vital role in PlayStation's history and future."

The Playerbase will kick off with Gran Turismo 7, though Sony says it will expand the program to other first‑party games in the future. Fans can apply online; Sony will select a few candidates for video interviews, then make its selections based on personality and enthusiasm for PlayStation.

Selected fans will have to travel to Los Angeles, where a multi‑camera rig will capture high‑res scans of their face and body. Sony will then process the data into 3D models that will appear in‑game as avatars or background characters.

In Gran Turismo 7, the first winner will appear as an in‑game portrait and will work with Sony to create a custom logo and car livery for players to use in the game.

Sony has not shared how long it will store these scans or when it will delete them. The Playerbase's rules indicate that winners must "consent to the processing of their facial geometry data for the purpose of capturing their likeness," though they don't specify how broadly that data might be used.