BMW is the latest automaker trying to get gaming to happen on vehicle infotainment screens while you’re charging or otherwise waiting around in your car. The company plans to add AirConsole, a party game service that normally runs on devices like Android TV or PC, into cars equipped with the curved infotainment display at the heart of its iDrive 8 system.
AirConsole delivers games over the internet, with controls handled by smartphones instead of dedicated controllers. The library of over 180 games available on the PC version aren’t exactly heavy hitters, like GoKart Go Air, Mega Monster Party, and Let’s Cook Together, which seem heavily inspired by Diddy Kong Racing, Mario Party, and Cooking Mama, respectively. Absent are any recognizable games, including ones that also use smartphones, like Jackbox games.
With massive screens popping up in more cars, we can expect more automakers to follow the path already walked by Tesla. Though with handhelds like the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck readily available, smartphone games that have high-res 3D graphics, and enough cloud gaming services to let you take your pick, it’s hard to imagine why anyone would choose a watered-down Smash Bros. clone just because it’s built-in to their BMW.
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