The automobile is quickly becoming the arcade of the 2020s.
Volkswagen has announced a partnership with gaming platform AirConsole that will bring video games to upcoming models of the ID.7 Tourer, Passat, Tiguan, Golf and Golf Estate.
Games will show up in the vehicles’ infotainment display, which will transform into a game console. Passengers can use their smartphones as controllers. The feature is expected to launch in Europe in mid-September. No U.S. launch date has been announced.
Critically, the vehicle must be parked in order for gameplay to be enabled. AirConsole suggests the experience is well suited for times when the vehicle is being charged or during breaks on long drives.
A growing number of electric car lines are adding the ability to play video games when they’re not focused on getting from Point A to Point B. AirConsole already has a partnership in place with BMW, letting passengers play a variety of games, including a version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire using text-to-speech technology.
Tesla has led the field, though, adding several classic Atari games to its catalog and working to integrate the Steam digital storefront into vehicles.
Tesla Arcade can be accessed through the vehicles’ in-car monitor screen. Other games include farming simulator Stardew Valley, and Sega’s 1991 game Sonic the Hedgehog.
The EV company, briefly, allowed passengers to play while the car was in motion, but quickly scuttled that after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced an investigation into Tesla.
