Bandai Namco. Two names seared into the memories of those of us of… ahem… a certain age, flashing up onto screens as we feverishly fed 20p coins into the slot. Well, those two names can now be joined by a third - Volkswagen. And we probably don't need the stack of 20p coins anymore.
What are Bandai Namco and VW up to?
Bandai Namco is, of course, one of the giants of Japanese video games, and it has joined forces with Volkswagen to offer no less a game than Pac-Man Championship Edition for Volkswagen's latest models. The game comes fitted if you tick the options box for the AirConsole in-car gaming app. This allows you to connect your mobile phone to the screen and use it as a control pad, meaning you can play Pac-Man to while away the time spent on public charging points.
Is this the Pac-Man we know and love?
Yes, but with some bonuses… This being a VW option, it means that VW's cars actually appear in the game, and you can score extra points by steering your Pac-Man towards silhouettes of the iconic Volkswagen Beetle, VW Bus and Golf IV R32, brands such as GTI, GTX or R and Volkswagen wheel rims. If you want to turn the tables on the Ghost Gang, which chases Pac-Man, then head for the famous VW roundel brand logo.
It's not just a cashew of playing the game on the car's screen; the system also plugs itself into the ambient lighting setup, using the ID Light that runs across the back of the dashboard to deliver what VW and Bandai Namco call a truly immersive gaming experience. VW says that it's the first company to incorporate AirConsole gaming into the car's systems in such a fashion.
What do I need to play?
The basic requirement is having one of VW's ID. models - ID.7, ID.5, ID.4 and ID.3 (from ID. Software 4.0 in each case) — or a 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 the smartphone. The AirConsole in-car app must be downloaded from the In-Car Shop before it can be used for the first time. VW says some 300,000 cars across Europe can access the new Pac-Man game.
We sense some kind of unofficial championship coming on…