Sony announces a new way to play PS5 games on the go, and where you’ll be playing them is unexpected

Sony and Honda just revealed a surprising new feature for their electric cars. Starting next year, you’ll be able to play PlayStation 5 games inside Afeela 1 vehicles. The catch? You can only do this while parked or riding as a passenger.

According to IGN, the two companies are working together through Sony Honda Mobility, a joint business focused on making electric cars. They’ve created something called the Afeela In-Vehicle Infotainment system, which brings PlayStation gaming into their vehicles.

This system lets you play PS4 or PS5 games while sitting in an Afeela 1 car, but there’s a major limitation. It only works through Remote Play, which means your PlayStation console needs to be turned on at home to stream the games to your car.

Remote Play technology raises questions about practicality

The system has some strict requirements to work properly. You must own a PS5 console yourself since this isn’t traditional cloud gaming. Sony says you need a stable internet connection of at least 15Mbps for smooth gameplay. It’s unclear why Sony isn’t using the same cloud gaming technology available on other devices.

Sony Honda Mobility president Izumi Kawanishi said the feature transforms travel into something more entertaining. He believes this takes the customer’s travel experience to a new level of entertainment. For those interested in PlayStation’s history across different consoles, this marks another unusual innovation from Sony.

The company showed images of someone holding a DualSense controller while playing on a small screen in the back seat. Sony and Honda suggest drivers can use this while waiting in parked cars, though they’d need to climb into the back seat. They also say it can keep passengers entertained during road trips.

The whole idea seems unnecessary since Sony already offers full cloud streaming through the PlayStation Portal handheld device. That device costs much less than buying a new electric Honda. Nintendo Switch consoles are also available for portable gaming.

Still, this might be useful for keeping passengers quiet during long drives. While tech companies continue making unusual business decisions, similar to how the TikTok deal ended poorly, this car gaming feature seems more like a luxury gimmick than a practical solution.