BMW’s new electric 5 Series lets you play games while charging the car

BMW has partnered with Swiss gaming platform AirConsole to bring in-car gaming to its new all-electric 5 Series.  

Drivers and passengers can play the games to kill time while the vehicle is charging, for example. Sadly, but probably for the best, you can’t play while the car is moving. 

In addition to the new BMW 5 Series, which debuted this week, the AirConsole app will be rolled out in other BMW vehicles. The service has been available on TVs for some time, but this is the first time it has been available in a car.  

To use the gaming app, players need their smartphone, which acts as a controller, and the BMW Curved Display, which acts as a TV. After booting up the AirConsole app in the car, users simply scan a QR code to link their phones to the screen and then get gaming.  

Around 15 titles are initially available including Go Kart Go, Golazo, Music Guess, and Overcooked, with the list expected to be continually expanded. While not exactly catering to the hardcore gamer, the console should provide enough entertainment for families or anyone partial to smartphone games.   

The 💜 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

To celebrate the launch of in-car gaming, BMW is presenting the electric i5 version of the 5 Series with a gaming wrap, featuring large pixels as a homage to the iconic 8-bit era of computer games.