Sony, in its fifth year at CES, showcased its upcoming electric car, AFEELA, set to launch in 2026 through a partnership with Honda. Despite uncertainty about its production, Sony presented a playful stunt at CES 2024, driving the AFEELA onto the stage using a PlayStation DualSense controller. This creative display emphasized Sony's strategy to leverage its entertainment, gaming, and technology brands for the electric car's unique positioning.
Sony's CES 2024 press conference emphasized software plans for its upcoming vehicle, highlighting AI integration. The event showcased the synergy between Sony's media, gaming, and entertainment brands. A notable moment was the Afeela electric car's reappearance, driven onto the stage by Izumi Kawanishi, Sony Honda Mobility's President and COO, using a PlayStation 5 DualSense controller, demonstrating the brand's innovative approach at the intersection of technology and entertainment.
The AFEELA concept, with projected specs of 400kW dual-motor AWD, 0-100km/h in 4.8s, and a 240km/h top speed, maintains its targets. Still lacking pricing and battery size details, Sony plans to launch the car in two years. The CES demonstration involving a gaming controller was clarified as a tech demo by Kawanishi. Although visually unchanged from the last appearance, Sony and Honda shared additional insights into Afeela's development, revealing unique entertainment and safety technologies.
Sony envisions the AFEELA as a "digital playground," with its software-defined nature allowing creators to invent unique in-car experiences. Demonstrating this, Sony showcased a game featuring the car in a virtual world with Godzilla-like monsters. The software simulates external conditions, enhancing safety through augmented reality. While driving the real Afeela with a DualSense remains a dream, Sony announced the Afeela Prototype 2024 will be featured in Gran Turismo 7 via a patch update later this year, enabling players to virtually experience it.
Sony aims to create a collaborative community by providing users and creators access to vehicle data, hinting at Orwellian concerns. In a surprising move, Sony partnered with Microsoft, referred to as "Big Brother," for an AI-related collaboration. The details were somewhat overshadowed by an abundance of AI buzzwords. The partnership emphasizes Microsoft's dominance in the AI space, despite the historical rivalry, showcasing business pragmatism similar to their past deal for Azure resources.
Sony's CES press conference lacked new details on AFEELA's price, battery, and the previously teased SUV version. The 2026 availability announcement wasn't reiterated. However, the Afeela Prototype 2024 will be featured in Gran Turismo 7 through a patch update. Microsoft's Jessica Hawk highlighted AI safety and Azure resources for Sony Honda Mobility vehicles but left the AI assistant's specifics for the Afeela uncertain, keeping us waiting for further updates.
In its fifth year at CES, Sony showcased the AFEELA electric car, set for a 2026 launch in partnership with Honda, employing a PlayStation DualSense controller for a playful stunt. The event emphasized software plans, AI integration, and AFEELA's evolving specs. Sony envisions the car as a digital playground, utilizing augmented reality for unique experiences. The lack of updates on availability, pricing, and the teased SUV version left some uncertainties, but the collaboration promises innovation in the evolving electric car landscape.
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