In-flight entertainment, the new asset of tomorrow’s car. This is one of the lessons from CES 2023 that closed its doors in Las Vegas. The car is no longer modernized in its chassis, its power or its load for electric models, but in its ability to offer different experiences in the cabin.
During the American show, even the big manufacturers highlighted the many functions that will improve the passenger journey, as well as the assets to keep the driver focused, but relaxed during the trip. This will happen, for example, by adding the Amazon Alexa voice assistant and Fire TV environment in Jeep, for example, a virtual reality headset in Valeo, the promise of software from Qualcomm that many drivers like Renault will integrate, or through video games. . , music and all the know-how in entertainment from Sony associated with Honda. Everyone’s goal: combat boredom in the car while providing additional technology. And you can also go through video games in virtual reality.
A project led by Audi
Tech&Co was thus able to test Holoride, the possibility offered to the occupants of a vehicle to take advantage of virtual reality glasses to play, but without stomach upset or any other problem related to the movement of the car. The German startup has partnered with HTC to support its experience in the Vive Flow, an ultra-light glasses-like device that connects to a smartphone to operate. Just launch the app of the same name, and then pair a Bluetooth controller to enjoy content (games, apps, streaming, various experiences, etc.).
Audi is Holoride’s long-standing partner with whom it has developed a special package. If you’re lucky enough to drive an A4 to A8, Q5 to Q8 or even an e-tron model with the Audi Connect Navigation & Infotainment option, all you have to do is connect the VR headset to the vehicle and Wi-Fi, not your phone. intelligent. necessary. Otherwise, Holoride has pulled from their Retrofit bag. Attached to the interior windshield, the module connects any car to ensure the experience. Like the Audi on-board system, it will send to the smartphone connected to the glasses all the GPS tracking of the car, the trajectories, the brake hits and other elements that will sometimes influence the game.
It is at the wheel of a 1967 Cadillac equipped with a Retrofit that the Holoride test is carried out. Virtual reality glasses on the head and a car crisscrossing Las Vegas, we will try different video games from the back seat of the vehicle. One concern: how to manage the movement of the car without getting sick to the stomach for not knowing what is happening around us live. “All compatible experiences have been tested to be able to adapt to the movement of the car,” says Holoride. “The game must adapt in real time to the movements of the wheel to avoid confusion.” This will allow for a dynamic and comfortable experience for the player.
Games designed for the road
Good news, Holoride works with 2D or 3D games using a controller. The first game tested, Pixel Ripped 1995: On the Road, was revised to meet the needs of running on the smartphone associated with Vive Flow. This pixel title revisits classic games from the 1990s and saves friends from a virtual heroine. In order to be consistent with the movements, the game has revised its environment. The glasses show a scene inside a car. And when you turn right or left in reality, your in-game driver does too. “Sitting in the middle”, the player then has a necessary coherence between the feeling of his body and what he sees, in addition to a very fun game.
The second experiment might have been a bit more risky for nausea, but it fits the bill as well. Cloudbreaker is a shooting game in which you control a flying robot that must face waves of enemies. A swipe to the right and your airborne scene moves. All this is possible thanks to the Holoride system integrated in Audi cars or through the Retrofit. The game is a little more dynamic and nervous than the first, but motion sickness is avoided thanks to a good fluidity in the movement of the car.
Free play and no nausea
The Holoride experience in the car is most pleasant and quite pleasant. It remains to be seen what the library made available will actually consist of. The HTC Vive Flow, when it launched on its own, wasn’t necessarily feature-rich, even if you could get access to a fairly wide selection and some compatible smartphone apps. For Holoride there are already a good dozen adapted applications, from games to the availability of a browser through educational courses (dinosaurs, brain training, learning…). Others will come soon after, we are sure.
Finally, perhaps the most annoying comes from the Vive Flow headphones themselves. It’s a little big and will tend to slip easily on smaller heads if it’s not a snug fit. It is good to know if it is a child or a teenager who uses it. The supplied controller will be a bit sketchy, but it is possible to use any other Bluetooth controller (even Xbox Series or PS5 DualSense) to play the game.
The Vive Flow announced in simple use 4 hours of autonomy. It is more than enough to play in the car before you are tired and without battery. It is also possible to use it for streaming and any other smartphone applications, but not everything will adjust to the movements of the road. Be careful in this moment of nausea!
The Holoride package that includes HTC Vive Flow, a Bluetooth controller, a security strap and a one-year subscription is advertised at 700 euros. Provides access to a catalog of content, experiences and games optimized to fit the road. Beyond the first year, Holoride will be offered at 20 euros per month (or 14.99 euros per month in the case of an annual subscription).
Source: BFM TV
