AirConsole Is Bringing New Meaning to In-Car Entertainment

The 2024 BMW 5 Series is coming out with its own gaming system. The company has paired with AirConsole to create its “gaming console”, and it is going to be a brand-new experience.

Who is AirConsole, and What’s Their Goal?

AirConsole is a gaming platform established in January 2015. The platform belongs to a start-up called N-dream, based in Zurich. AirConsole intends to bring a mobile gaming experience to every living room and in-car entertainment system.
AirConsole has more than 180 titles. They refer to their games as “casual games”. These titles include racing, action, adventure, strategy, sports, quizzes, drawing games and more. In addition to their own exclusive games, they also offer a selection of titles from Nintendo Switch, Xbox and Steam.
All the games have their own version of optimized smartphone controls. Meaning all you need to play them is your phone and a browser.

Partnership with Team17

Team17 is a video game developer and publisher based in England. The company, made of a merger between British publisher 17-bit Software and the Swedish Team7, has made quite a name for itself. Their most well-known games include Overcooked, Golf with Your Friends, Worms, and The Escapist.
AirConsole is partnering up with Team17 to offer a much more extensive library of games for their in-car entertainment system. Team 17 is bringing more than one hundred games with them. The company’s quality and quantity will surely bring the experience to new levels.

How Does In-Car Gaming Work?

BMW is partnering with AirConsole to create a brand-new gaming experience for its drivers. It allows the driver and the passengers to play games while the car is stationary. For now, you can only play games while your car is fully stopped. This includes when your car is charging or during long hours in traffic.
This system will first be unveiled on the new BMW 5 Series and will be subsequently added to later models. As AirConsole’s experience is casual games, that’s all you can play right now. That is still exciting as AirConsole’s titles haven’t disappointed before.

Hardware

A huge plus of this new system is that it needs no additional hardware. All you need is the curved screen of your BMW 5 Series infotainment system and your cellphone. No additional set-up is necessary at all. As for software, you just need to run the AirConsole app on your phone and scan the QR code on your infotainment system and the two are paired automatically.

How Many Players?

You can play alone in your car, or you can compete with your friends. While the gaming system allows you to play on your own, it also allows for multiplayer games. You can enjoy your favourite games with your friends, in the traffic.

Casual Games

As already mentioned AirConsole focuses on casual games. Casual games is the title given to games that are simple to learn and easy to pick up. The controllers are rather intuitive. The current library includes racing, sports, quiz and music quiz games, as well as simulation, strategy, jump-and-run and puzzle games.

What Games Are Available?

The market introduction of the new BMW 5 Series will include about 15 titles to choose from. These games will be playable from the start and will most likely be your first-ever in-car gaming experience. You can pick anything from this list, but the names we currently have are “Go Kart Go”, “Golazo”, “Music Guess”, and “Overcooked”.
This list is expected to expand significantly.

Also read: The Best Online Games to Play With Friends? What are their formats?

The Playful Design

BMW Group has introduced a special edition BMW i5 car to commemorate the launch of in-car gaming. The car features a unique gaming wrap design that represents an immersive gaming experience down to individual pixels. The design pays tribute to the 8-bit era of computer games, with large pixels that are easily recognizable. The car’s colour scheme is inspired by the available games on the AirConsole platform. Video game controller elements wrap around the i5, highlighting the innovative approach to in-car gaming with AirConsole, where the player’s smartphone serves as the controller, providing easy access to all game-play options.

Why Try In-Car Gaming?

It’s worth noting that in-car gaming is becoming increasingly popular as people spend more time in their cars. The BMW Group’s decision to incorporate in-car gaming into their cars is a smart move, as it offers a new and exciting way for people to stay entertained during long drives. This is an excellent example of how companies are evolving to meet changing customer preferences.

Will We See More In-Car Gaming Soon?

It’s possible that other car manufacturers may follow BMW’s lead and incorporate in-car gaming into their vehicles, with the increasing popularity of cloud-based gaming services like AirConsole, it’s becoming easier and more accessible for car manufacturers to offer this feature to their customers.

That said, it’s also worth noting that in-car gaming may not be a priority for all car manufacturers. Some may focus on other features or technologies that they believe will be more appealing to their target customers. Furthermore, incorporating in-car gaming into a vehicle requires a significant investment in both hardware and software, which may not be feasible for all manufacturers.

Who is AirConsole, and what is their goal?

AirConsole is a Zurich-based gaming platform that aims to bring a mobile gaming experience to living rooms and in-car entertainment systems. The platform offers over 180 casual games, including racing, action, adventure, strategy, sports, quizzes, and drawing games, all with optimized smartphone controls.

How does in-car gaming work?

BMW has partnered with AirConsole to create an in-car gaming experience for its drivers and passengers. The games can be played while the car is stationary, such as when it’s charging or in traffic. The system will be available on the new BMW 5 Series and later models. No additional hardware is required, and all you need is your phone and the curved screen of your BMW 5 Series infotainment system.

What games are available for in-car gaming?

The market introduction of the new BMW 5 Series will include about 15 titles to choose from, including “Go Kart Go”, “Golazo”, “Music Guess”, and “Overcooked”. The list of games is expected to expand significantly.

Why try in-car gaming?

In-car gaming is becoming increasingly popular as people spend more time in their cars. It’s a new and exciting way to stay entertained during long drives. The incorporation of in-car gaming by the BMW Group is an excellent example of how companies are evolving to meet changing customer preferences. Other car manufacturers may follow BMW’s lead in adding in-car gamingto their vehicles, although it may not be a priority for all manufacturers.