CES 2025 is still ongoing, but beyond new graphics cards, CPUs, and more ‘regular’ releases, Sony may have just revealed the biggest leap in gaming for years to come, with a catch. It’s not quite ready for our living rooms… or any rooms.
CES 2025 Shows Off a Piece of Tech The Last of Us Part 3 Needs to Use
Using The Last of Us as a tech demo, Sony debuted their proof-of-concept, the mouthful that is the ‘Sony’s Future Immersive Entertainment Concept’. On a basic level, it’s a 4D experience trying to fully immerse you in the setting you’re put into, but on a deeper level, it’s much more.
Between the haptics, smells, and wall-to-ceiling displays, there are also immersive and interactive tools you can use to direct the action. In the case of this tech demo, it was a weapon and a torch, brilliantly used to highlight what the tech is currently capable of. One can only imagine how terrifying it’d be to feel as if you were in the action of The Last of Us.
The aforementioned catch though? The showcase demo should have given it away, but unless you live in a commercial building with huge rooms, and the technical know-how to set it up, you’re not going to be able to get involved. As it’s some years off being commercially viable though, it may not be out of the realms of possibility to see us playing The Last of Us Part 3 in a similar environment.
Of course, scaled down, it’d arguably be similar to a PSVR, so maybe the PSVR3 (if we get one) will encompass the extra immersive haptics, smells etc to set Sony apart from their competitors in the field?
Either way, whether it’s finishing up the story with The Last of Us Part 3, playing a game of EA FC, or something else entirely, there’s no arguing that the possibilities for this are endless, if not entirely expensive and unrealistic for the common person.
On the other hand, there’s every possibility this is just Sony flexing its muscles and that’ll never become commercially available, especially with its lack of support for the PSVR2. For now, it may just be best to keep your PSVR2 and boot it up when The Last of Us Part 3 eventually drops, if you’re wanting to be fully immersed and terrified.
For more Thumb Wars gaming coverage, check out how The Last of Us Part 3 needs to take a note from the show, or how about our Infinity Nikki review, a surprising Gacha-filled game of fun.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
