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The German-based luxury automotive company BMW has filed a patent designed to let passengers play video games inside the vehicle. This patent will allow for one passenger to enjoy a single-player game or up to three passengers with a multiplayer game.
BMW, typically known for being one of the world’s most recognizable car manufacturers, had delved into the world of video games in the past. Most notably when the company partnered with Forza Motorsport 4. In October 2022, BMW announced its partnership with AirConsle, a cloud-based video game company that prides itself on providing a fun social gaming experience for all ages. At the time, it was unclear what this partnership would mean for the future of BMW and its interest in video games. After filing its most recent patent, there’s little doubt about where the design of some future BMW models is heading.
BMW’s newest patent will allow passengers to play the almost 200 games available in AirConsole’s cloud-based system while inside the vehicle. These games mostly consist of quick mini-games similar to the Jackbox series. Each passenger will use their cellphone as a controller as they utilize their own iDrive Curved Display. As promised by both BMW and AirConsole, setting up a cellphone controller will be as simple as scanning the QR code presented on the screen.
The company’s newest patent is a major leap forward in synergizing automobiles and video games, but BMW is not the only company looking to do so. Last year it was announced that another company was developing a similar idea using video game devices for cars with Warner Bros expressing great interest in the technology. The biggest difference with the patent from Warner Bros is that their version is designed for passengers only to play games in self-driving cars.
BMW is not without its occasional controversies. The news of this filed patent may lead to the company’s biggest controversy yet, that being the safety concerns associated with driving and playing video games at the same time. AirConsole has addressed these concerns, claiming that their video game system can not be used while the vehicle is in motion. This is great when it comes to safety, but some players may feel slighted not being able to play as a passenger while the driver has their hands on the wheel.
The company handled a controversy recently when it created a real-world microtransaction by proposing to lock some features for select BMW vehicles. This newest patent may end up being the next big controversy for the esteemed company to deal with.
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