QNX at CES 2026 Highlights

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How QNX is Defining the Software-Defined Future

CES 2026 has been a whirlwind of innovation, and for the QNX team, it’s been one of our most impactful years yet. From the Las Vegas Convention Center to the global stage, the message from the industry was clear: the shift toward software-defined architectures is no longer a future concept. It is here, and it is powered by QNX.

If you weren’t able to join us at our booth in the West Hall, here is a wrap-up of the major announcements, award-winning technologies, and ground-breaking demos that defined QNX at CES 2026.

QNX at CES 2026
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The Foundational Power of Alloy Kore

One of the biggest highlights of the week was the official recognition of Alloy Kore. Developed in strategic collaboration with Vector, this foundational vehicle software platform was named a CES 2026 “Best in Show” winner by Embedded Computing Design.

Alloy Kore is designed to solve the industry’s biggest headache: the "integration tax." By pre-integrating the QNX real-time operating system (RTOS) and hypervisor with Vector’s robust middleware, we’re providing OEMs with a production-ready software base for high-performance ECUs. This allows automakers to stop worrying about the plumbing and start focusing on the unique, branded features that today’s consumers demand.

Accelerating the BMW Digital Experience

We were thrilled to share more about our deepening partnership with the BMW Group. BMW has selected QNX to power its next generation of software-defined vehicles. This collaboration underscores the trust that the world’s leading premium carmakers place in QNX to provide a safe, secure, and high-performance foundation for the complex digital architectures of tomorrow.

Bringing Deterministic AI to the Edge with Apex.AI

AI was everywhere at CES, but for mission-critical systems, AI must be more than just smart, it must be deterministic. We announced a significant integration with Apex.AI, making their AI-native software framework, Apex.OS, compatible with QNX SDP 8.0.

This allows developers across the automotive, robotics, and medical sectors to deploy high-performance AI workloads with the peace of mind that comes from a safety-certified, real-time operating system. Whether it’s an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) on a factory floor or a surgical robot in an OR, the combination of Apex.AI and QNX is a game-changer.

The Experience: QNX Cabin and QNX Sound

At the booth, the wow factor was driven by our in-car experience demos:

  • QNX Cabin: At CES, we showcased QNX Cabin capabilities across both cloud-based development and in-vehicle SoC platforms. QNX Cabin for Cloud demonstrated how OEMs can leverage a cloud-based development framework (via AWS and Ampere) to “shift left,” performing complex vehicle simulations before hardware availability. QNX Cabin for SoC highlighted runtime execution on leading automotive SoCs from Qualcomm, AMD, and MediaTek, showing flexibility and parity between cloud development and in-vehicle silicon.
  • QNX Sound: Visitors stepped into a custom Hyundai Ioniq 6 to experience the future of automotive audio. Featuring a Bose sound system and Dolby Atmos playback, the demo illustrated how QNX Sound allows OEMs to centralize all acoustic processing into software, reducing hardware complexity while delivering an immersive, theater-quality experience.

QNX Everywhere: A Growing Ecosystem

Our commitment to the developer community reached a new milestone this week. Since launching the QNX Everywhere initiative at CES 2025, we’ve seen an incredible response:

  • Over 12,000 licenses issued for non-commercial use of QNX SDP 8.0.
  • Partnerships with 80 universities worldwide.

By making our technology more accessible, we’re not just building software; we’re cultivating the next generation of embedded engineers who will build the autonomous systems of the future.

Celebrating the Innovators

Finally, we were honored to partner with MotorTrend and Vector to host the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) Innovator Awards. It was an inspiring evening celebrating the individuals who are pushing the boundaries of what a vehicle can be. These visionaries are the driving force behind the transformation of our industry, and we are proud to support their journey.

Looking Ahead

CES 2026 proved that the Software-Defined Vehicle has evolved into the Software-Defined Everything. From BMWs on the road to robots in the warehouse, QNX remains the trusted foundation for the world’s most critical systems.

Thank you to everyone who visited us in Las Vegas. The journey to a safer, more connected future is well underway, and we can’t wait to see what we’ll build together next.

Want to learn more about our CES announcements? Visit our News Center or explore the QNX Everywhere program to start building today.

About the author

David McCourt is Content Marketing Manager at QNX.