Sony, Honda control concept EV with PS5 controller during CES demo

Sony and Honda, two Japanese companies, have forged a partnership focused a concept electric vehicle (EV) called the Afeela.

The EV, which was first shown off in 2020, is expected to arrive in 2026. At CES this year, the two companies talked about Sony’s software plans for the vehicle.

For starters, Sony drove the car onto the CES stage with a PlayStation controller, giving Elon Musk and his reveal of the Cybertruck a run for his money.

Now, this was likely just a tech demo, and we’re pretty certain that users wouldn’t be able to drive/park their Afeela with a PlayStation controller when it releases. However, considering CES is all about the spectacle, the flashy (re)introduction of the vehicle was a great move. It got us writing about the EV, and you’re currently reading about it.

Apart from the gimmick, Sony and Honda shared new information about Afeela (via CNET). The vehicle’s dashboard will reportedly use Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5.3 to power its visuals. The dashboard itself will feature a massive, ultrawide display that will show information like maps, music controls and more, while also being able to tap into Sony’s vast catalogue of media content.

Previous reports also suggested that the vehicle might have PS5 support integrated into it, but no information was revealed this year. However, the company did hint a partnership with Sony’s in-house game studio Polyphony Digital, the developer of the Gran Turismo series. While the two companies did not detail what we could expect with this partnership, it did say that it’s working on a way to “bring together virtual and real-world experiences.”

This might indicate that users will be able to play future Gran Turismo titles directly from their Afeela’s steering wheel. It could also be that the Afeela will be a featured vehicle in a future Gran Turismo title.

Sony and Honda did not provide pricing for the Afeela or a release date.

Image credit: @shmAFEELA

Via: CNET