BMW is reportedly working with gaming platform AirConsole to bring a range of single-player and multiplayer games to new cars, starting with next year’s BMW 7 Series. AirConsole is part of BMW Startup Garage, the company’s incubator for fostering new technologies that can be used in its future vehicles.
The automaker noted that AirConsole’s platform is a perfect fit for BMW’s curved display and also demonstrated the company’s ability to quickly integrate third-party apps into the car. The games will run directly within the vehicle’s entertainment system and can be delivered to the vehicle via OTA.
A BMW spokesperson told TechCrunch that AirConsole’s games will only be accessible when the car is parked, so if the vehicle is in motion, it will not be playable for the safety of the passengers themselves.
The company said players will need a smartphone to play, which will act as a controller, and in addition, the connection between the phone and the car will be established by scanning a QR code in the car.
BMW’s 7 Series sedan, launched in April, will also entertain passengers through its 31.3-inch 8K cinema screen with built-in Amazon Fire TV. A BMW spokesman said the lineup will be updated with head-up display hardware, which in turn can accommodate the computing power needed for gaming. The company also said that future models will have this capability and will be able to receive gaming features OTA.
