2024 BMW 5 Series, i5 first to get AirConsole

May 26, 2023 at 07:22

In BMW, Cars, International News / By Gerard Lye / 26 May 2023 3:22 pm / 3 comments

The all-new G60 BMW 5 Series and its fully electric equivalent, the G60E i5, were revealed recently with AirConsole, a gaming platform that allows the driver and passengers to play games while the vehicle is stationary as a way of passing time (like when waiting for the battery to be charged).

The integration of AirConsole was first announced by BMW last October, and after the latest 5 Series and i5, other models equipped with the BMW Curved Display powered by iDrive 8.5 will receive the feature as well.

According to the German carmaker, models that are confirmed to get AirConsole include the 7 Series, iX and i4 produced from July 2023 as well as the X5, X6, X7 and XM made from August 2023. Meanwhile, existing models that are eligible to receive iDrive 8.5 via an over-the-air (OTA) update that includes AirConsole are the 7 Series (produced from July 2022), iX (produced from March 2023) as well as the X5, X6, X7 and XM (produced from April 2023).

To enjoy this in-car gaming experience, players simply need their smartphone, which acts as a controller. They will first need to pair their device via a QR code displayed on the infotainment screen, and it is possible to play alone or with all vehicle occupants together.

For now, there are about 15 games available to play, including titles like Go Kart Go, Golazo, Music Guess and Overcooked, but BMW says more will be added in the future. It also mentions that these are “so-called casual games” in its release, so don’t expect to play Cyberpunk 2077 like what Tesla demonstrated last year.

BMW is also celebrating the launch of in-car gaming in its cars by presenting a special i5 wearing a unique gaming-themed wrap. The colour scheme is said to be inspired by the various games available on the AirConsole platform, while the large pixels are a homage to the 8-bit era of games.