Every year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Sony always reveals their latest lineup of Bravia 4K TVs, home theater systems, and more. But at CES 2023, the company decided to change things up. Instead of introducing their usual lineup of upcoming products, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida focused on gaming products, a new movie, and their latest vehicle built in collaboration with Honda.
The headline of Sony’s CES 2023 press conference is Project Leonardo, a brand new accessibility controller kit currently in development for the PlayStation 5. There is currently no word on the release date or even price. However, Sony did give us a look a the new controller, and it looks very interesting.
According to Sony, the Project Leonardo controller is under development with the help of accessibility experts, community members, and even game developers. As for the controller itself, you will find all of the buttons you’d find on a standard PS5 controller in addition to a few more. It looks very interesting since it allows people with disabilities to be able to play PS5 games and more. It’s also easily customizable to suit the various needs of players and PWDs.
In addition to Project Leonardo, Sony also talked about the upcoming PlayStation VR2 which will be released this coming February 22. More than 30 games will be compatible with PSVR 2 including No Man’s Sky, Resident Evil Village, Beat Saber, and even Gran Turismo 7.
Speaking of Gran Turismo, Sony also revealed the trailer for the upcoming Gran Turismo movie which is set to hit theaters this August. The trailer combines movie shots together with behind-the-scenes footage of how the movie was shot. There were also a few words from the stars Archie Madekwe, Orlando Bloom, and David Harbour. The movie will revolve around the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenager who went from playing Gran Turismo to eventually becoming a professional racing driver.
Finally, Sony Honda Mobility took to the stage to reveal their new electric vehicle brand – Afeela together with the first prototype. The prototype itself appears to be an updated version of Sony’s earlier EV concept – the Vision S-01. Specific details such as powertrain and range have yet to be revealed, but the company did say that it boasts 45 cameras and sensors inside and outside the vehicle. It also comes with 800 TOPS of maximum computing power for the ECU.
Rather than focusing on traditional car terms, Sony and Honda want users to focus more on software, networks, and user experience. Areas where the tech company has more experience. Simply put, think of it more like an electronic device rather than a car.
Afeela will start taking orders in 2025 with deliveries beginning in 2026 for the North American market. There’s no word yet whether it will be available in other regions including the Philippines.
No TVs, speakers, or even new cameras from Sony at CES 2023. But the controller and the new electric vehicle are some things we’re excited about from Sony this 2023. We expect to see more in the coming months.