In-car gaming debuts in all-new BMW 5 Series

New 5 Series is the first BMW to debut AirConsole

Let’s say you are in a parking garage with the kids waiting for Mommy to come down from the office, and she says the meeting will take 30 more minutes. What do you do? If you are driving the new BMW 5 Series, the answer is simple, play video games with the kids.

I’m not talking about Mobile Legends or having a PS5 installed. The Bavarian automaker read your mind and has, for the first time, partnered with a Zurich-based gaming platform called AirConsole that will allow occupants to play games while the vehicle is stationary.

How does it work? Well, first off, the vehicle has to be parked. So, you cannot play while stuck in traffic, no matter how bad the jam is. If you are driving the electrified 5 Series or i5 for short, AirConsole is available while the vehicle is charging.

Each player must have a smartphone to use as a controller while the video feed goes on the BMW Curved Display. Integration between devices happens by scanning a QR code on the monitor. AirConsole supports multiple players and various racing, sports, quizzes and trivia, simulation, strategy, jump-and-run, and puzzle games. Titles include Go Kart Go, Golazo, Music Guess, and Overcooked. Currently, 15 games are available, but as AirConsole has more than 190 games, BMW will be adding to its selection regularly.

Marking the partnership between BMW and AirConsole, the automaker presents an i5 with a unique gaming wrap that shows large pixels representing the 8-bit era of computer games, and the color comes from the various games available on the gaming platform.

AirConsole will roll out to other BMW models in the future and hopefully, they include Metal Gear, Tekken, and several other gamer favorites in the lineup.