The Zhitong Finance App learned that Sony Group (SONY.US) will miss the 2027 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), end its decades-long history of exhibiting at the electronics event in Las Vegas, and focus more on the entertainment content business. The decision to completely withdraw from CES will reshape the exhibition area pattern of the world's most watched consumer electronics exhibition. Sony has occupied one of the largest booths at CES for a long time. Even though Japanese peers have reduced the scale of participation, Sony has remained the main force, and its keynote speech event attracted a large number of visitors.
A Sony spokesperson confirmed previous reports, saying that neither Sony nor its affiliates are planning to participate in the CES exhibition in January next year. Sony's products were first exhibited at the first CES in 1967. The PlayStation manufacturer did not set up a separate stand at the show earlier this year, but its joint venture with Honda Motor (HMC.US) showcased Afeela electric vehicles.
Sony has also followed the overall trend of CES expanding into the automotive sector and used the exhibition to promote a cooperative project with Honda to jointly develop electric vehicles. The project was one of Sony's most important attempts to explore a new platform for content and AI-driven services, but it broke down this year, and the two sides said they would re-evaluate the future of the joint venture, which was founded in 2022.
On March 25, 2026, Sony and Honda jointly announced the termination of all development and marketing plans for the Afeela series of electric vehicles. The two sides said in a joint statement that due to Honda's re-evaluation of its electrification strategy, the original business plan is no longer viable. Sony expects that given SHM's “asset-light” operating model, this change will not have a substantial impact on its financial position.
One of the main reasons for the suspension of the project was that Honda experienced an unprecedented financial crisis. Honda's net loss for fiscal year 2025 is expected to reach 420 billion to 690 billion yen (approximately RMB 18.2 billion to 29.9 billion yuan). This is the first annual net loss since it went public in 1957. Honda has previously halted the development and sales project of three electric vehicles originally planned to be manufactured in North America, and has drastically lowered the global annual sales target of pure electric vehicles from 2 million units to 700,000 to 750,000 units in 2030.
“We continue to strategically evaluate ways to participate in exhibitions and communications based on the needs and priorities of our diverse businesses,” Sony said in a statement. The company says its focus continues to evolve into the fields of entertainment, intellectual property, and technology to support creators.
Sony's business is increasingly skewed towards games, music, and movies, which reduces the importance of CES as a platform to showcase its strategy. The company is still a key supplier of automotive image sensors, and executives believe cars may eventually help create new forms of entertainment in cars.