Gaming in cars is becoming increasingly popular, as newer models continue to support larger and more complex infotainment suites that can serve as a place to play a handful of video games. To this end, despite the efforts of Tesla, for example, who looked to bring some of the latest and most demanding games to its cars, Volkswagen has instead looked to the past now and joined up with Bandai Namco to bring Pac-Man to its vehicles.
Using the AirConsole system, this enables the driver or passenger to play Pac-Man Championship Edition through their infotainment suite, using the dashboard as a display and their smartphone as a controller. You will need to be parked and stationary to play the game, which is smart as the last thing anyone wants is high-speed crashes because folk are too wrapped up hunting for high scores. Otherwise, the Pac-Man inclusion will also be able to match-up with certain in-car immersion features to enhance the experience further, such as by automatically adjusting interior lighting to reflect the gameplay in applicable models.
As per which VW models will be able to play Pac-Man, specifically it's the ID. 7, ID. 5, ID. 4, and ID. 3, assuming each runs the latest iteration of ID. Software 4.0, as well as the 2025 iterations of the Tayron, Passat, Tiguan, Golf Variant, and regular Golf. You will also need a VW ID account and an active VW Connect Plus subscription, and an internet connection on your smartphone to play the game, oh and also you need to download the game from the In-Car Shop ahead of time too.
