If you have a Volkswagen ID.4 or another model that can run the AirConsole In-Car App, you can play a branded version of the iconic Pac-Man game by Bandai Namco on your infotainment screen using a smartphone. On top of that, Volkswagen is bragging that it’s the first brand to bring dynamic background lighting to an in-car gaming experience.
There are other games, but the PAC-MAN Championship Edition is, effectively, the launch game from Volkswagen, and instead of fruits, Pac-Man is hunting for wheel rims and silhouettes of iconic Volkswagen models for extra points and power-ups in the form of the Volkswagen brand logo.
Volkswagen is a mainstream automaker founded by the German Labour Front in 1937 as the “people’s car” company. Famous for the Volkswagen Beetle, Type 2 Bus, and modern classics like the Golf and Jetta, Volkswagen has emerged as one of the world’s largest automakers and a subsection of the larger Volkswagen Group, which either directly or indirectly owns controlling stakes in Porsche, Audi, Bentley, Skoda, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Rimac, Seat, and more.
- Founded
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28 May 1937
- Founder
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German Labour Front
- Headquarters
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Wolfsburg, Germany
- Owned By
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Volkswagen Group
- Current CEO
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Thomas Schaefer
A Timeless Classic In A Modern Setting
With the in-car lighting adapting to the game dynamically as it’s played, Volkswagen promises an immersive experience. As a game to get people hooked on an in-car gaming system, a modernized version of Pac-Man makes sense as the 1980s maze-based game still holds up, and fighting the Ghost Gang is still a fun distraction for kids and adults. How much time people will actually spend in cars using their infotainment display is debatable, but it’s a large part of AirConsole’s business plan.
AirConsole is specifically designed for cars, although it works in a browser or on an Android-based TV or streaming device (including Amazon Fire). A big selling point is the range of casual multi-player games. The business model is either free with ads or $95 per year, billed either annually or monthly, although, at the time of writing, you can get the ad-free version for $1.99 per month or $23.99 yearly. And there is something called fArt Work (a card game based around artistic expression).
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Gaming As A Social Experience
You certainly won’t be playing Gran Turismo while waiting for your street race to start, and the value of a small games console in the front of the car seems low to us. But for vehicles with screens in the back and kids to keep entertained, genuine multiplayer-player casual games sound like either a parental dream-come-true or a potential source of sibling rivalry and argument. Volkswagen concentrates on selling in-car gaming as “a new social experience” and the idea that “a classic game such as PAC-MAN connects generations.” The brand also says that the portfolio of games is tailored to casual players of any age and mentions making a charging stop as an ideal time to fire AirConsole up.
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There are hoops to jump through beyond living in Europe, though, to use AirConsole in the car, including the inevitable subscription so you can use it in the car you already own. It’s available in various European countries on the ID.7, ID.5, ID.4, and ID.3 (if running ID. Software 4.0 and above), and 2025 model year Tayron, Tiguan, Passat, and Golf models.
To play when parked, the car requires a Volkswagen ID user account, an active VW Connect Plus contract, and the smartphone(s) used to have an active internet connection. The AirConsole in-car app must be downloaded from Volkswagen’s In-Car Shop before it can be used for the first time.
