In-Car Gaming via AirConsole

Volkswagen brings Pac-Man into the vehicle

Benjamin Müller Benjamin Müller

15 April 2025 - 10:05

1 min

Now playable in over 300,000 Volkswagen vehicles in Europe: the Pac-Man Championship Edition. Extra points are awarded for touching Beetle, Bulli, and Golf silhouettes.

Volkswagen AG

Volkswagen is further expanding the gaming offering in selected models. From now on, Pac-Man is available to play on the infotainment display in the parked vehicle via the optional In-Car app AirConsole. The smartphone serves as the controller.

Optionally, Volkswagen dynamically connects the arcade game developed by Bandai Namco with the ambient lighting and additionally with the ID. Light in compatible ID. models. Specifically, the interior lighting responds to the game content as well as to the inputs of the players.

In addition to Pac-Man, AirConsole, the first gaming platform specifically developed for cars, enables racing games like Beach Buggy Racing and the quiz game Trivia Crack in VW models.

In which VW models can you play?

AirConsole is available in the ID. models ID.7, ID.5, ID.4, and ID.3 (each from ID. software 4.0) as well as for the models Passat, Tiguan, Tayron, Golf, and Golf Variant from model year 2025 in various European countries.

Requirements for playing while parked are a Volkswagen ID user account, an active VW Connect Plus contract, and a working internet connection on the smartphone. AirConsole must be downloaded from the In-Car-Shop before first use.

Daddy takes a nap, the kids play a round - that's what a break in the car park could look like.

“The games are stored locally and new games can be added at any time via OTA update,” explains Antti Makkonen, Director of Games at AirConsole.

A well-known Bavarian car manufacturer is also relying on in-car gaming. BMW offers, via AirConsole, the card game Uno among others in over 500,000 vehicles of the BMW and Mini brands.

This article was first published at automotiveit.eu

“Greening the supply chain is no longer optional but essential”

Zonal architectures and digitalised designs are reshaping automotive wiring systems. In this interview, Karsten Dieckmann from Sumitomo explains how the company is driving automation, sustainability, and scalable E/E integration for tomorrow’s mobility.

Benjamin Müller