At CES 2024, Izumi Kawanishi, President and COO of Sony Honda Mobility, showcased a striking demonstration involving the Afeela electric car. In a surprising move, Kawanishi used a PS5 DualSense controller to remotely control the Afeela on stage, leaving the audience amazed at this unconventional display.
The Afeela, a concept electric car born from a collaboration between Sony and Honda, is inching closer to becoming a tangible reality. Initially announced with specifications like 400kW (536hp) dual-motor all-wheel drive, acceleration from 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds, and a maximum speed of 240km/h, these features remain the targets for Sony. The Afeela has been a regular highlight at previous CES events, with Sony revealing more about its development at each show.
While the act of summoning the Afeela using a PlayStation controller was certainly impressive, Kawanishi clarified that it was merely a tech demonstration and not an actual feature of the car.
However, the Afeela does incorporate a genuine gaming-inspired feature: it utilizes Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5.3 to drive the 3-D graphics on its expansive, ultrawide dashboard display. This integration allows for an immersive experience for both drivers and passengers, featuring detailed 3D maps, virtual spaces, and augmented reality views supplemented with internet-sourced metadata.
Sony’s new AFEELA car from Honda can be driven with a PS5 controller. pic.twitter.com/tkf6rqLvLd
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 9, 2024
Moreover, Unreal Engine 5 is employed in the development of the car’s multi-camera driver assistance systems, rendering simulated environments for training purposes. The game engine’s highly realistic graphics contribute to enhanced precision in training visual models and neural network processing, crucial for the EV’s driver-assistance capabilities.
