Sony and Honda have announced plans to get PlayStation 5 owners gaming on the go, with Remote Play support for Afeela 1 vehicles rolling out next year.
The two companies are working together as Sony Honda Mobility, a joint venture focused on the development of electric vehicles, which has now announced the PlayStation-infused Afeela In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) system.
This technology will let you sit in an Afeela 1 vehicle and play your PS4 or PS5 games as a passenger, though only via Remote Play — meaning you’ll also need your console switched on back at home in order to stream gameplay.
As with any online technology, there are caveats. Of course, this is not cloud gaming in the traditional sense, so you will need to own a PS5 yourself to use it. Sony also recommends you have a “stable connection of at 15Mbps… for a smooth Remote Play experience.” Why isn’t Sony using the same cloud gaming technology available elsewhere? It is unclear.
“The introduction of PS Remote Play embodies Afeela’s vision for mobility: transforming the traveling space into a captivating and emotional one,” Sony Honda Mobility president Izumi Kawanishi said in a statement. “Through this integration, we are elevating the customer’s entire travel experience to an unprecedented level of entertainment.”
An image of the Afeela IVI system shows someone holding a DualSense controller while playing on a small screen in the rear seat of their snazzy Honda vehicle. In a press release, Sony and Honda suggests a driver can enjoy gaming while “waiting in your parked car,” presumably by clambering into the back, or alternatively the IVI can be used to keep “passengers entertained on a road trip.”
All of this seems somewhat redundant as Sony allows full cloud streaming of games via its handheld PlayStation Portal device, and one of these is far cheaper than buying a brand new electric Honda. (Nintendo Switch consoles exist too.) But hey, anything to keep your passengers in the back seats quiet.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
