New gaming highlights for the ConnectedDrive Store in BMW Operating System 9 for 2024.
In conjunction with the optional BMW Digital Premium offer, owners of BMWs with Operating System 9 have access to a BMW ConnectedDrive Store extended with third-party apps. This app store offers a constantly growing range of apps for music, news, and gaming. In the future, more games will be added via this channel, including games that can be played with full-fledged gaming controllers. BMW is presenting such a gaming experience for the first time at CES 2024 with “Beach Buggy Racing 2” offering customers an action-packed racing game experience that is reminiscent of the major console classics. In split-screen mode, two players can compete against each other in the vehicle with their gaming controllers. Common, Bluetooth-enabled gaming controllers can be connected to the infotainment system in just a few steps. The controller connection will be available over-the-air for BMW Operating System 9 over the course of 2024.
With the AirConsole app, BMW and MINI customers can already play single and multiplayer games in the vehicle today. The games are easily accessible to everyone, as the smartphone becomes a controller and enables simple, easy-to-learn operation. The range of games on the AirConsole app in the vehicle is constantly being developed.
BMW models with BMW Operating System 9 come with a 90-day free trial of BMW Digital Premium, after which it can be added via the ConnectedDrive Store on the web, in the My BMW app, or directly in the vehicle. BMW Digital Premium also includes extended navigation functions and additional customization options, for example through additional My Modes.
Top entertainment — with the Video App in BMW Operating Systems 8.5 and 9.
In addition to the BMW Theatre Screen with Amazon Fire TV built-in in the rear compartment of the BMW 7 Series, BMW customers are now able to watch a variety of video content on the central display*. BMW developers worked with XPERI, Inc. to optimize the TiVo Operating System – which has already been successful in the Smart TV sector – for in-vehicle video streaming, integrating the DTS AutoStage Video Service powered by TiVo. The entertainment offerings include both live channels and on-demand media libraries of news, sports, entertainment for children, movies, and TV series.
* In vehicles with BMW Operating System 8.5 in conjunction with ConnectedDrive Professional; with BMW Operating System 9 in conjunction with BMW Digital Premium.
** BMW 7 Series; BMW iX from 03/23 production, the BMW X5, BMW X6, BMW X7, BMW X5 M, BMW X6 M from 04/23 production and the BMW XM from 08/23 production.
The platform was first introduced in the new BMW 5 Series and is now being rolled out over-the-air to other luxury class models**. Owners of vehicles with BMW Operating System 9 have also had access to the video app in conjunction with BMW Digital Premium since the end of 2023, with other vehicles following in 2024, such as the BMW X2 and all models in the new MINI family.
The video app is now available in the USA, UK, South Korea, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and soon will be coming to Japan. The portals available across countries include Pluto TV, Bloomberg, TED, Yahoo! and Chili. There are also country-specific streaming offers:
- Germany: JOYN, ZDF, Tagesschau, Deutsche Welle
- Italy: RaiPlay
- France: TF1
- USA: Tubi, Gusto TV, Journy
- Japan: Abema TV, NHK Plus, TVer, Hulu Japan, NTV NEWS NNN
The video streaming platform’s portfolio will continue to develop and gradually roll out to other countries.
Ready for the wearables of the future — extended driving experience with “XREAL Air 2” augmented reality glasses.
At CES, BMW will show for the first time how augmented reality (AR) glasses could enrich the driving experience in the future. Visitors will experience the uses of AR glasses on a trip through Las Vegas. In doing so, they see how navigation and hazard information, information on points of interest and entertainment content are perfectly embedded in the real environment through the “XREAL Air 2”. AR and MR (mixed reality) devices will steadily gain in popularity in the coming years due to technological advances and more accessible entry-level models. These devices have the potential to provide both drivers and passengers with extended information and content — as a supplement to the displays installed in the vehicle.
Since 2008, BMW has been following the development of AR/MR technology and has been investigating the possible uses of head-mounted displays as part of research projects. Through the resulting development collaborations, BMW engineers have succeeded for the first time in displaying stable augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) content to passengers in a moving vehicle. Even in challenging driving situations, for example when the vehicle turns, drives over bumps, or accelerates, the displayed image remains stable. To achieve this, the tracking system of the respective AR/MR device must be connected to the vehicle’s sensor data.
BMW has continuously expanded its experience with AR/MR devices over the years and presented it to the public, starting with the MINI Augmented Vision project (2015), the collaboration with Meta Reality Labs (2022 & 2023), the ConnectedRide Smartglasses from BMW Motorrad, and the M Mixed Reality Driving Experience. In current BMW and MINI models, the “Augmented View” function offers the driver a live video stream on the display for the best possible orientation when navigating, which is expanded with additional, augmented information.
BMW has already successfully pioneered digital technologies such as vehicle access based on the BMW Digital Key and has driven forward the standardization of such innovations in the industry. When it comes to AR/MR, the company is also open to cooperation with other partners to achieve the goal of creating an industry standard for connecting XR devices in the CE industry with vehicles.
Development demo: Voice assistant becomes the ultimate vehicle expert with the help of Amazon Alexa Large Language Model (LLM).
BMW and Amazon are showcasing voice assistant LLM capabilities based on a current development project the companies are working on for a potential series rollout. This makes the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant the ultimate vehicle expert enabled by generative AI, powered by the Alexa LLM. Visitors will experience how the voice assistant provides quick instructions and answers about vehicle functions in a much more human, conversational manner, while at the same time being able to control some vehicle functions.
The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant has been using artificial intelligence for speech processing for a long time, and this demo is the latest proof of the continued innovation BMW and its partners are bringing to customers. Complex processing capabilities, which enable human-like interactions and dialogs, had not yet been integrated into the existing Intelligent Personal Assistant. Such capabilities are now made possible by LLMs (Large Language Models), which are AI models designed to process human language at a high level and generate responses accordingly. The BMW Group is also taking careful steps to build a safe and trusted experience for customers, and continues to test and iterate these LLM capabilities over time with its partners.
Since the introduction of the first BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant in 2018, language interaction has been an essential part of BMW iDrive. Today, the voice assistant gives customers control over many vehicle functions so that they can keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road. Leveraging Amazon’s Alexa Custom Assistant — a solution based on Alexa technology that enables companies to create their own customized voice assistant — the next generation of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant will soon become more powerful over the course of the year in vehicles with BMW Operating System 9.
Joint development project with Valeo enables remote-controlled valet parking.
BMW and Valeo are working in a strategic partnership on the joint development of next-generation automated Level 4 parking solutions. This also includes the development of solutions for automated valet parking (AVP). The customer leaves the vehicle at a defined drop off point. From there, the vehicle automatically searches for a parking space, performs the necessary maneuvers to enter the space, and can return to the pick-up point. The underlying technology can be either an autonomous driving system or a remote-controlled valet system.
At CES 2024, visitors can try out remote-controlled valet parking for themselves. Remote control provides control in situations where fully autonomous systems may face major challenges, such as complex or unknown environments.
The remote control uses modern technology and live camera images to navigate and move the vehicle in order to park and return in a controlled manner. Possible areas of application for this technology in the future could include parking for events, at airports, or in logistics.