You know how Sony\u2019s making a electric car with Honda that\u2019s coming in 2026<\/a>? Sony Honda Mobility is now letting journalists seriously touch its Afeela prototype<\/a> \u2014 and play with a Gran Turismo <\/em>video game version<\/a> of the car while sitting inside the actual machine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n That\u2019s why I drove to PlayStation\u2019s North American headquarters last week, to try an Afeela inside an Afeela and touch the things we couldn\u2019t touch before<\/a>. But I got a bit more than I bargained for! <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Here\u2019s my quick 50-second video of the experience, and a short list of the new things I\u2019ve learned.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n No, before you ask, they didn\u2019t let me drive the actual Sony Honda car. I grabbed the wheel and pushed the pedals, but they did nothing \u2014 in game or otherwise. \u201cWe will provide journalists with the opportunity to test drive as soon as possible in line with the vehicle development schedule,\u201d reads a statement from Sony Honda Mobility via third-party spokesperson Glenn Mandel. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019m hearing test drives aren\u2019t coming this year \u2014 next year is possible \u2014 but it might even be 2026 before a journalist gets behind a working wheel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There used to be two ways to open the prototype\u2019s door from outside. You could press a button in the Afeela\u2019s smartphone app, or let a camera system open it for you after it recognizes your face. The latest prototype has a third method, though: a physical button mounted underneath the window that can send the same signal. I pressed it, and it worked great. Sony Honda is still deciding how to authenticate you, though \u2014 reps couldn\u2019t say if it would use a keyfob or some sort of digital car key like UWB<\/a> to know it\u2019s you nearby. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Afeela\u2019s extra-wide screen is one of its most striking features, but Sony Honda doesn\u2019t plan to let the driver see the entire thing while in motion. Instead, it\u2019ll use some sort of privacy filter to wall off the passenger\u2019s section of screen so they can continue to watch without distracting the driver.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cSpecifications for mass production have not yet been decided, but we plan to install a mechanism that cannot be seen from the driver\u2019s side while driving so that the driver can drive safely,\u201d SHM tells us.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I played Gran Turismo 7 <\/em>on the Afeela\u2019s screen, streaming wirelessly from a nearby PS5 using Sony\u2019s PS Remote Play app. There isn\u2019t an actual PS5 console in the car, and there\u2019s currently no plan to change that. In January, Sony Honda Mobility president and COO Izumi Kawanishi\u00a0told me it was still undecided whether a real PS5 would appear<\/a>, but SHM is now \u201cassuming remote play instead of installing a PS5 console.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s also not clear if you\u2019ll be able to use the Afeela\u2019s own steering wheels and pedals to play anything.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n1) Don\u2019t expect test drives anytime soon.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
2) There\u2019s now a physical button to let you open the door.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
3) The Afeela won\u2019t let a driver see what\u2019s on the passenger\u2019s screen.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
4) There probably won\u2019t be an actual PS5 inside.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
5) The Afeela\u2019s \u201cpersonal agent\u201d might prompt you<\/em> with questions.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/p>\n