The Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2024) kicked off today, the leading annual event focused on technology, and Sony, of course, participated in it, making headlines with its AFEELA car and the various collaborations that will make it a reality.
The alliance announced with Microsoft was undoubtedly the most striking, but they also revealed others with Epic Games and its in-house game development studio Polyphony Digital.
Epic Games to Power Sony's AFEELA Car
First, Sony announced its partnership with Epic Games, which will be crucial for this project. The mission is to offer an experience that enhances the relationship between people and mobility, and for this, they will use the latest version of Epic Games' cutting-edge engine, Unreal Engine 5.3, and update it as the engine evolves.
According to the details, the team at Sony Honda Mobility is developing "new entertainment and gaming features" using the virtual space with Epic Games.
"We are excited to work with Sony Honda Mobility to deliver world-class mobility experiences that lead not only in connected visual communication but also in social entertainment," expressed Kim Libreri, a technology executive at Epic Games.
As seen in Sony's presentation at CES 2024, thanks to Epic Games' technology, AFEELA will be able to display information about the environment virtually, capturing details such as vehicles, pedestrians, terrain, and even the weather.
External developers and creators will be able to work easily on applications and services for AFEELA thanks to the development environment it will provide. The car will feature high-end chips from Qualcomm Technologies for automotive applications.
"To continue expanding entertainment inside the cabin through the incorporation of sensors and vehicle information, Unreal Engine plays a key role in *AFEELA. We are pleased to work with Epic Games to bring our vision for the future of mobility to life," said Izumi Kawanishi, President of Sony Honda Mobility.
Sony's AFEELA Car Coming to Gran Turismo
As if that were not enough, Sony announced that its premier racing simulation game development studio, Polyphony Digital, will also be involved in the project to "develop vehicles that merge the virtual and the real."
This alliance was somewhat ambiguous, but it was anticipated that AFEELA would leverage the simulation technology of the studio founded and led by Kazunorio Yamauchi to emphasize the "area of human sensations and emotions" and incorporate it into their vehicles.
The collaboration will not end there; thanks to the information that will be shared with the Japanese studio, the AFEELA car will arrive and can be driven virtually in *Gran Turismo 7. The car will be added in a patch later this year and before the real car goes on sale, although the date has not been confirmed.
What did you think of Sony's presentation at CES 2024? Tell us in the comments.
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