AirConsole & Volkswagen Bring Immersive Pac-Man Experience Into Vehicles

Volkswagen is expanding its gaming offering in select models with the Pac-Man Championship Edition. Available in the optional AirConsole03 In-Car App for playing on the infotainment display in a parked vehicle, a smartphone serves as the controller. Volkswagen says it’s the first automotive manufacturer to dynamically combine the new game with the vehicle’s background lighting, including ID. Light in compatible ID. models. The company says this creates an even more immersive gaming experience, with the interior lighting responding to the game content and inputs by the players.

The Pac-Man Championship Edition retains the well-known and popular game principle from the 1980s, except the icons for bonus points and power pellets have been redesigned. More points are awarded for touching silhouettes of vehicles such as the Volkswagen Beetle, VW Bus, Golf IV R32, GTI, GTX or R, as well as Volkswagen wheel rims. Anyone who wants to fight the Ghost Gang should look for power pellets in the form of the Volkswagen brand logo.

AirConsole is the world’s first gaming platform specifically designed for cars, according to the press release. The in-car app can transform compatible Volkswagen vehicles into a gaming station, including the infotainment, sound and background lighting system. The portfolio of games is tailored to casual players of any age.

Gaming Expansion

With the implementation of more games, Volkswagen says it is responding to customer feedback. With partners N-Dream and Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc., in-car gaming becomes a new social experience, and playing a classic game such as Pac-Man connects generations, noted the release. Volkswagen is additionally enhancing the overall digital experience.

The AirConsole in-car app is available in many European countries in the ID. models ID.7, ID.5, ID.4 and ID.3 (with ID. Software 4.0 or higher) as well as for the Tayron, Tiguan, Passat, Golf Variant and Golf models from model year 2025. Playing while parked requires a Volkswagen ID user account, an active VW Connect Plus contract and an active internet connection on a smartphone. The AirConsole in-car app must be downloaded from the In-Car Shop before it can be used for the first time.