- The massive screens in Audi’s latest EVs can now act as gaming consoles for multiple players at once.
- The A6 E-Tron and Q6 E-Tron come with AirConsole compatibility in the United States.
- This means the driver and passengers can play multiplayer games using their smartphones as controllers.
Some Audi EVs, as well as a handful of gas-powered models, can now act as gaming consoles on wheels thanks to the integration of a system called AirConsole. That’s the same feature found in some BMW and Mini models, and it means the driver and passengers can play games on the car’s screens while using their smartphones as controllers.
In the United States, AirConsole is available via the Audi Application Store in vehicles based on both PPC- and PPE-based cars, which include the A6 E-Tron and Q6 E-Tron EVs, as well as the A5 and Q5 combustion models.
Photo by: Audi
Currently, 12 games can be played using AirConsole, including GoKart GO!, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Pictionary Car Party. The games can be displayed either on the central infotainment display or on the front passenger display on cars that have it. Moreover, in cars fitted with the Dynamic Privacy mode, which offers two distinct views on the same screen–one for the driver and one for the front passenger–games can be played even while the car is in motion.
Each game comes with its own controller setup, and users have to scan a QR code to get the controller to work on their phone. A separate smartphone app is recommended, but using a mobile browser can also work.
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To use AirConsole, a myAudi account is needed, as well as an active Audi connect Plus trial or paid subscription, and a reliable 4G LTE or 5G cellular connection. Furthermore, while you can get AirConsole’s basic features for free, a separate subscription is needed if you want to unlock the ability to play with unlimited players and get rid of ad breaks.
A reliable internet connection is also required for the smartphones that act as controllers, but even so, there might be some lag between the inputs and the reaction of the game, seeing how all the commands are sent via the internet and not on a local network.
