In 2023, BMW will be bringing video games to its new cars.
Partnering with AirConsole, the BMW range of 2023 will include gaming capabilities on their screens. Games will be playable on the screens without the need for a controller or using buttons on the BMW dash.
Instead, the user’s smartphone will be the controller, with game information beamed to the phone when games are initiated. To connect, all a player needs to do is scan to QR code on the screen of the BMW. It’s another experience-based feature brought to you by the company that wanted you to pay a subscription for seat warming.
“With AirConsole we will leverage innovative technologies combined with a broad variety of fun and multiplayer games. This will make every waiting situation inside the vehicle, such as charging, an enjoyable moment,” said Stephan Durach, the senior vice president of BMW Group’s Connected Company Development.
“We are extremely proud to spearhead gaming inside vehicles with BMW and are excited to create new games for in-car entertainment. Our ingenious architecture coupled with the ease of access of our platform will change the way people get entertained in their vehicles,” added Anthony Cliquot, the CEO of N-Dream, the company behind the Air Console brand.
Tesla has been doing this for years, but it’s largely a non-feature. It’s the kind of thing that’s neat to put on a brochure, but let’s be honest: you use a car for driving, not for gaming.
But it’s pretty funny to consider that BMW has created the world’s most expensive console with this feature, right? And all for lightweight, casual and multiplayer-capable games to play when you’re just looking to kill time. Don’t expect something like The Witcher 3 or Overwatch 2 to be included in the gaming library.
The announcement comes some months after BMW said it would integrate Android Automotive into some 2023 models. Not to be confused with Android Auto, Android Automotive is a full system-wide OS built on Android. In my opinion, it’s the best car operating system at the moment, having experienced it in the Polestar 2.
These in-car video games will likely get the best workout when charging an electric BMW, but you’re unlikely to see much use out of them beyond the times you’re waiting inside your vehicle.
Anyway, as you were.