We're so in
It seems that boring car journeys filled with endless games of I-Spy and fighting over the AUX cord might be coming to an end, thanks to Audi. Last week at CES 2019, the world's premier consumer electronics show, Audi and Disney blew our collective minds with the reveal of their newest entertainment initiative: in-car VR
In front over 160,000 attendees in Las Vegas, Audi, Disney Games and Interactive Experiences team and Audi-co-founded startup Holoride unveiled their newest contribution to in-car entertainment, using Audi’s new electric SUV, the suitably sci-fi named e-tron.
The experience debuted at CES was an Avengers-themed game called ‘Marvel’s Avengers: Rocket’s Rescue Run’. Simply put on your VR headset and team up with Rocket Racoon to blow up asteroids in the way of your ship… while listening to advice from Robert Downey Jr in his Iron Man guise.
So, how does this differ from your average VR experience, except you’re sitting in the back of a brand new car? Well, this is where things get very clever: the VR tech is linked to the car and reflects the movement of the car within the game. That means whether the car is cruising on a straight road or making a hard left, you’re doing exactly the same thing in the game.
Feeling nauseous? No need. According to Audi research, people are much less likely to get VR sickness (i.e. motion sickness) when they’re using a VR system in the car, as your brain and your body are experiencing the same motions
Moving forward, Holoride has decided to make the tech available to all automakers, via an open platform, once it has been fully integrated into the e-tron.
Audi is looking to the future, too. Jalopnik is reporting that the car brand is hoping to develop even more VR games, from space exploration, to underwater adventures, to education content.
Road trips will never be the same again.
