Game Over: Sony And Honda Pull The Plug On Electric PlayStation Car
Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) has pulled the plug on its ambitious Afeela electric vehicle project, marking a sudden end to the PlayStation on wheels just months before its scheduled public rollout in California. Don't feel bad just because Afeela bad. [Editor's Note: Forgive Aaron for the punny dad joke.]
Based on the official statement, the project dissolution includes the nixing of both the flagship Afeela 1 sedan and a secondary model that was already in development. A big part of this decision stems Honda reassessing its broader electrification strategy earlier this month, meaning that specific automotive tech and manufacturing assets the automaker had originally promised to the joint venture were no longer available. Without this, SHM leadership determined there was no "viable path forward to bring the Models to market."
Since its debut at CES 2023, the Sony-Honda Afeela was marketed less as a car and more as a mobile living room. It featured an interior dominated by ultra-wide displays and integrated PlayStation Remote Play, which allowed users to stream games from their home consoles to the car’s infotainment system. The partnership also explored deep aesthetic integrations, including dashboard themes based on Astro Bot and Gran Turismo, and customizable motor sounds inspired by iconic PlayStation titles.
For enthusiasts and early adopters, the cancellation is a literal dead end. The Afeela 1 was expected to carry a premium price tag starting around $89,900, with high-end configurations exceeding $100,000. SHM has confirmed it will issue full refunds for the $200 reservation fees collected from customers, primarily those in the California market who had been first in line for the 2026 delivery window.
This collapse also coincides with what seems like a turbulent period for Sony’s broader hardware and entertainment divisions. Sony has shut down several first-party gaming studios, including Dark Outlaw Games and Bluepoint Games, suggesting a wider strategic consolidation within the company. While the joint venture technically remains in existence to discuss "future business plans," the dream of owning a real-world PlayStation vehicle has been silenced, for now anyway. At least the car's available in Gran Turismo 7.
The project's end highlights the difficulty of merging two quite different industries. While Sony provided the sensors, AI trajectory inference, and entertainment ecosystem, the reliance on traditional automotive manufacturing proved to be the project's Achilles' heel.
