It was inevitable that a Sony-developed electric vehicle would have a heavy emphasis on the kind of electronics it’s known for, and now it’s official, we have a car with PS Remote Play built in.
The Afeela 1, an EV hatchback slightly smaller than a Tesla Model S, will get PS Remote Play for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games when it goes on sale next year, the partnership announced last week. While cars have previously incorporated in-car streaming and gaming systems, like Stream being offered on the Model S and Model X, this is the first application of Sony’s systems that will use the PlayStation platform.
The Afeela is the product of Sony Honda Mobility, with the electronics company doing much of the in-car infotainment and electric motor work, and Honda doing the manufacturing and, uh, vehicle part of it. The car will also be assembled at a Honda facility in Ohio.
While Sony has been openly talking about producing a car since CES 2020, it announced a deal with Honda to provide engineering and manufacturing work in 2022 and revealed a prototype model at CES 2023. A close production version was shown earlier this year.
Prices will start at $102,000 when the cars arrive in the middle of next year. An automated driving system will be offered using lidar and radar, and the 91-kWh battery pack with two 180-kW electric motors (about 480 horsepower) will offer as much as 300 miles of driving range, according to the company.
Other features include three screens in front for vehicle information and an infotainment system, as well as two screens for rear passengers, an AI assistant, and a “media bar” at the front in place of a grille where owners can customize messages. Charging can also be done through Tesla’s Supercharger network.
A $200 reservation fee is required to hold a place in line, but a less-expensive $89,000 base model won’t start production until 2027. It’s also only available to California residents for now, with most repairs handled remotely.
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