We’ve all used Sony PlayStation controllers to drive cars before, but usually it’s in the digital realm during a few laps behind the wheel in Gran Turismo.
However, during its CES 2024 press conference, the gaming giant deployed the same PS5 DualSense controller to drive the very real Sony Honda Mobility Afeela EV onto the stage in Las Vegas.
The electric, self-driving (Level 3) sedan was showcased and detailed before the weekend, but those tuning into to the CES press conference got an extra as you can see below.
Although the DualSene doing the steering was simply a technical demo and not an example of a real world capability drivers can expect, it was still a high point of a pretty drab CES showcase from a company we can usually rely on to deliver the goods.
Sony also announced it has teamed up with Microsoft for the AI-powered personal assistant that’ll sit within the Afeela EV. Sony says the 45 advanced driver assistance (ADAS) cameras and sensors doing the heavy lifting for the Afeela car will be infused with generative AI thanks to silicon from Qualcomm.
Epic Games Unreal Engine is also on board to help with in-car entertainment, in what’s going to be a heavy software-heavy experience that’s been likened to a smartphone on wheels. Updates and experiences will be subscription based, Sony has previously said.
Sony will begin taking pre-orders for the Afeela vehicle in 2025 and is planning to bring it to market in 2026. Sony Honda Mobility was formed in September 2022 as a 50-50 joint venture between the two Japanese titans of industry and it looks like the best the two companies have to offer could be aligned quite well.
Elsewhere, Sony’s press conference disappointed in terms of new announcements. The company told us plenty about what has done and what we already knew it was doing in the content creation space, but nothing pertaining to new consumer products such as the usual array of Bravia TVs, cameras, and more. There wasn’t a hint of that rumoured PS5 Pro either.
