Sony drives its new electric car onto CES 2024 stage using a PlayStation controller

With CES 2024 in full swing, Sony, partnered with Honda, has taken to the stage to show off the new iteration of their Afeela EV.

The Afeela has been a highlight at CES since 2023 and is even more impressive this year. At first glance, the car might have looked to be driving itself onto the stage until a wider perspective reveals that it was driven there using Sony's own PlayStation 5 Dualsense controller.

The car was driven on stage by Sony Honda Mobility president and COO Izumi Kawanishi, who was on stage with the DualSense controller operating the vehicle. The ability to drive the car using a PlayStation DualSense controller is more novel than anything else. It is not to imply any evidence of a PlayStation-controlled car coming sometime in the future but just an act of spectacle for those in attendance at CES. This was backed up by Kawanishi's comment that it was just "for the purpose of the tech showcase".

• Read more: Sony reveals price for its first car 'Afeela' that comes with a built-in PS5

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"This remote driving demo is for the purpose of the tech showcase only," Kawanishi said. "However, we believe that software can define new function and value. We want to redefine the relationship between people and mobility." This reveal was meant to be a real wow factor for audiences and has certainly caused a stir online.

Despite the impressive display at Sony's press conference this year, we are still no closer to finding out if or when this futuristic-looking vehicle will become a reality. More directly, during the conference, Sony announced they are currently working on "gaming and entertainment" as part of their Sony Honda Mobility Future.