Hit the road, Pac – VW is bringing the iconic game along for the journey
- The classic ’80s game, Pac-Man, is back
- This time it’s in 300,000 VW vehicles
- But you can only play when the car isn’t moving
Published on Apr 15, 2025 at 7:41 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Apr 15, 2025 at 7:41 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
Good news if you’re a Pac-Man fan, and a VW owner.
The German brand has teamed up with Bandai Namco to offer the popular game as an in-vehicle app.
According to VW, the gaming experience will be available to over 300,000 vehicles in Europe.
As per usual, there’s – an understandable – catch.
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A classic game, with a VW twist
Volkswagen announced a new partnership with Bandai Namco to offer Pac-Man in the form of in-car gaming, directly through the vehicle’s infotainment system.
VW said over 300,000 customers will be able to play, and there’ll be a ‘Championship Edition’ for ID models – ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, and ID.7.
But there’s more, because VW also said that classic Pac-Man elements, such as fruit, will be redesigned to look like VW wheels or iconic models such as the Golf GTI, Golf R, or even the Golf R32.
The catch, predictably and for obvious safety reasons, is you’ll only be able to play when the vehicle is stationary.
Actually, there’s a second catch, because VW said Pac-Man will only be available in Europe – for now.
The eternal debate
VW isn’t the first automaker to offer similar features, and it won’t be the last.
And even though these games are only available when the car isn’t moving, a lot of people are still asking the question: are giant infotainment screens a good idea?
Sometimes, some people ask the question purely for aesthetic reasons.
A few weeks ago, an Italian automaker slammed a massive screen onto the dashboard of a Range Rover Classic, and some people aren’t loving it.
Then there’s the question of safety.
A couple of years ago, just to bring up one of many examples, Tesla was forced to remove some features from its infotainment screens for safety reasons.
Still, whether we like it or not, it seems like we’re not going back.
Different automakers are trying out different solutions, including pop-up screens designed to integrate a bit more elegantly with the interior.
But, apart from small-batch supercar manufacturers, no one is really saying no to big screens.
It doesn’t look like that’s going to change.
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