German automaker BMW is on a quest to make car journeys more exciting than ever before. The brand recently filed for a novel patent that, once fully realized, will allow BMW owners to turn their cars into veritable gaming room like Tesla. This initiative, carried out in collaboration with AirConsole, promises to revolutionize the in-car entertainment experience. Here are the details…

BMW’s New Gaming System Is About to Change the Way You Travel

The promise of BMW’s new patent is simple, yet audacious: It offers the potential for both single and multiplayer gaming within the car. Following the global trend of “smart cars,” which is now embraced by virtually all automotive brands, BMW is making strides in integrating groundbreaking features into their models. The first of these innovations came in the form of a “cinema room” feature, first introduced in the electric BMW i7 series. Now, BMW is gearing up to transform car interiors into fully-fledged gaming hubs.

The patent application filed last week by BMW seems to indicate the introduction of a mini in-car gaming console. Aimed to keep the driver’s attention undistracted on the road, the console is designed for passengers in the car’s rear seats. It will allow from a single passenger up to three to play games together. Thanks to a collaborative effort with AirConsole, each passenger will be able to use their iDrive screen as a monitor. Imaginatively, passengers’ phones will serve as game controllers for the virtual console. Utilizing a cloud-based system, the platform will offer up to 200 different games, mostly comprised of fast mini-games similar to those in the Jackbox series.

The game selection will feature quick, entertaining games like car racing, mystery box finding, and small-scale fighting games. Connection to the system will be made through a special app accessible only to BMW owners by scanning an in-car QR code. With the patent news becoming public, some users have expressed excitement about the new feature, particularly noting its potential to keep children entertained during long car journeys. However, not everyone shares the enthusiasm. A group of users raised concerns about the potential for this feature to distract drivers, which could potentially lead to severe traffic accidents.

As of now, the feature is still in the patenting stage. It is expected to hit the market by the end of 2023, and soon we will be seeing it in BMW cars. It is anticipated to be offered not as a standard feature, but as an option. The first model to introduce this new option will be BMW’s electric vehicle, the i7. This ambitious move by BMW demonstrates the evolving nature of the automotive industry, not just focusing on the mechanics of driving, but also enhancing the overall passenger experience.

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