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SONY Honda Afeela
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Citing the potential of the boom of the EV industry, Sony has been developing its very own electric car for quite some time now. Now, the Japan-based company recently showcased the Sony Afeela electric car at a CES 2024 event, driving the vehicle on stage with a PlayStation 5 controller.
Yes, you read that right! The Sony Afeela EV can not only be driven with a DualSense PS5 controller but it is also powered by Epic's Unreal Engine. Read the full story to know all the details about the Sony Afeela EV...
Sony-Honda president drives Afeela EV with PS5 controller at CES 2024
Sony and Honda have been developing the Afeela electric car for the past few years, and this is not the first time that we have seen it in the real world. However, it was the first time that we saw Sony control the entire electric car just with a PlayStation 5 controller. Furthermore, the company revealed some interesting tidbits about the EV's infotainment and safety features.
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Now, even though we saw the Sony Honda Mobility President, Izumi Kawanishi, control Afeela with a PS5 controller, he was quick to mention that it was simply a tech demo, specifically designed for the CES presentation. So, when the car hits the market sometime in the future, do not expect to drive it around with your DualSense PS5 controller.
Sony EV powered by Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5
Another interesting piece of information about Afeela that is shared by the Sony-Honda executives is the fact that the EV is powered by Epic Games' game development engine Unreal Engine 5.3. The company will reportedly use Unreal Engine 5.3 to power the 3D graphics and visuals will show up on the super-massive, ultra-wide display located on the dashboard.
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The Unreal Engine-powered dashboard infotainment system will act as the primary source of entertainment and information for drivers and passengers. According to the Sony-Honda execs, drivers and passengers will be able to pull up resources and data from the internet and view 3D maps, AR views of the real world, and virtual spaces all around them when traveling in Afeela. It is also noted that they will be able to access Sony's large media catalogues of TV, movie, and game content right inside the EV.
Apart from powering the dashboard infotainment system, Sony also stated that it will be using ultra-realistic graphics-based simulated environments generated by Unreal Engine 5 to aid the automatic driving functions. Moreover, the Japanese joint venture execs announced that it has partnered with Microsoft to use the company's Azure AI cloud-computing technology to further develop Afeela's features and driving-aid system.
Sony Afeela EV expected to debut in Gran Turismo 7
Before concluding its presentation, Sony announced that it has teamed up with its in-house game-development studio Polyphony Digital. The game studio is responsible for developing the uber-popular racing simulator series, Gran Turismo. Although the company did not reveal much about the partnership, Sony only stated that it would be working to "bring together virtual and real-world experiences."
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However, thanks to footage of the Afeela EV racing on the Grand Valley Highway One, which is one of the tracks in the Gran Turismo series, we can expect Sony to debut the EV in Gran Turismo 7. So, we would be able to get behind the wheel of Afeela virtually before we take it for a joyride in the real world.
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