The future of in car entertainment is gaming according to Microsoft and LG as they announce a new partnership to take your gaming further than ever.
Microsoft and LG Electronics today announced a pioneering partnership that will bring the expansive world of Xbox Cloud Gaming to the automotive sector, powered by LG’s innovative webOS Automotive Content Platform.
Driving Cloud Gaming Forward
This collaboration marks a significant milestone in in-car entertainment, allowing drivers and passengers to access their favorite Xbox games directly from their vehicle’s infotainment system. Soon, consumers will have the unprecedented ability to enjoy a vast library of Xbox titles on the go. Transforming commutes and long journeys into immersive gaming experiences. Leveraging LG’s webOS Automotive, vehicles will become a new frontier for cloud gaming, delivering high-quality streaming of Xbox games without the need for a dedicated console inside the car.
LG WebOS Automotive was introduced to Kia’s 2024 line up of cars in Europe, with “more to be announced soon”. Obviously, this is not something that is likely to come to older cars. But as time goes on, the chances are you will need to keep an Xbox controller (or some other Bluetooth controller) in your glove box.
Eyes on the road!
It’s understandable if your first thought here was about road safety. I know mine was. Surely it is only a matter of time before some plonker on TikTok posts a video of them doing 100MPH whilst playing Assassin’s Creed. Well, Xbox and LG are keen to point out that extra safety precautions will be in place.
We don’t officially know how this will work yet. However, there have been car manufacturers that have enabled Netflix and YouTube on their infotainment displays. They implemented protocols such as inability to start the engine while the app is running and inability to open the app whilst the car is in motion. Hopefully LG and Xbox have this in place as a minimum.
But why…?
The idea of gaming in the car may seem a little weird and unconventional. But I think it will get used more than we realise. In the last few years, this has been really handy for me on multiple occasions.
I have played stadia in my car whilst waiting on other passengers to use the service station facilities. I have played games on Luna to kill time when picking someone up from the airport and their flight was delayed. And I have used Xbox Game Pass in a hospital car park whilst somebody underwent a minor operation. There’s also been car camping and long road trips.
Whilst convenient, it did mean I would either have to remember my tablet or just play on a phone screen. Having an Xbox Game Pass app built in to the car solves both of these problems.
Uber awesome!
It is hard not to get carried away here. but thinking down the line, the opportunities are great! Hopefully, Microsoft can make signing in to Xbox Game Pass quicker and easier. imagine the fun you could have in the back of an Uber! How could you not give the driver 5 stars when you’re playing FIFA on the way to the airport.
As things progress, this will only become more useful. Waiting on an electric car to charge up is now an exciting opportunity to play some games. And this is all focused on the driver. It looks like it will on headrests. So maybe now the kids will finally stop asking, “are we there yet?” The integration is anticipated to roll out in select vehicle models equipped with LG’s webOS Automotive in the coming months.
Further details regarding availability and specific vehicle models will be released at a later date. When more details are announced, you know we will be here to let you know.
Would the inclusion of Xbox Game Pass affect your decision-making when it comes to purchasing your next car?
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