AirConsole, the platform that turns car infotainment systems into gaming hubs, has teamed up with Atari to bring a blast from the past to Volkswagen drivers. This partnership brings Asteroids: Recharged and Breakout: Recharged to select VW models, with Missile Command: Recharged to follow.
Getting started is easy. Volkswagen owners with an active VW Connect Plus subscription and a smartphone with internet can download the AirConsole app from the In-Car Shop. When the car is parked, the app launches on the infotainment screen and displays a QR code. Scan it with a smartphone and the device becomes a controller, so you can play solo or with a passenger. No extra hardware needed, just like turning on the radio.
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Asteroids: Recharged and Breakout: Recharged aren’t just rehashes of the 1970s originals. Atari’s Recharged series updates these classics with sharper graphics and new mechanics. Breakout: Recharged has 50 levels with power-ups like rail guns and homing missiles, giving the paddle-and-ball game a modern twist. Asteroids: Recharged ups the action with new weapons and fast paced chaos, perfect for quick sessions at a charging station. Both games are one or two player, so a co-pilot can join in. Ethan Stearns, Atari’s VP of Games, praised the AirConsole team for getting in-car controls just right, so it’s a smooth and polished experience.
AirConsole isn’t new to the automotive scene. The platform has already brought titles like PAC-MAN Championship Edition, UNO Car Party, Pictionary Car Party and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? to cars, working with big names like Bandai Namco, Mattel and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Volkswagen’s partnership with AirConsole started in 2025 with PAC-MAN which cleverly syncs gameplay with the car’s ambient lighting and in some ID models, the ID. Light system.
AirConsole is for casual players of all ages and doesn’t require hours of dedication. Supported VW models—ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.7 and 2025 versions of the Passat, Tiguan, Tayron, Golf and Golf Variant—become mini arcades when parked. With over 300,000 vehicles in Europe already AirConsole-ready, the platform is carving a niche as cars become more than just transport. Anthony Cliquot, CEO of N-Dream (AirConsole’s parent company) sees this as a cultural shift, with cars becoming “digital living rooms” for family fun or solo play during downtime.
Volkswagen isn’t the only one in this space. Tesla has been leading in-car gaming with titles like Cuphead and The Witcher 3 on its massive screens. BMW and Audi, also AirConsole partners, are exploring similar paths. But AirConsole’s advantage is its wide compatibility and focus on lightweight, social games that don’t require powerful systems. Its expansion to Audi models like the A5 and Q6 e-tron, with passenger-only screens to keep drivers focused, shows its flexibility.
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