Google stated Wednesday at its I/O event that YouTube will be available in any cars equipped with Google, beginning with Polestar vehicles.
The expansion of YouTube’s availability coincides with the increasing availability of high-tech infotainment systems in new automobiles, which promise to provide new levels of convenience and enjoyment to the lives of drivers and passengers. In practice, this generally means more screens, both up front for the driver and in the back for passengers.
Many automobiles already have access to YouTube through Android Auto, a program that runs on an Android phone and talks wirelessly with the vehicle to allow drivers to view their apps on the car’s display. This latest connectivity, however, is only available for automobiles that have Google built in. In other words, it is accessible for vehicles powered by the Android Automotive operating system, which is based on a Linux-based open source mobile operating system. Instead of running smartphones and tablets, Google adapted it for usage in automobiles, allowing Google apps and services such as Maps, Assistant, and Play to be connected directly into the vehicle.
According to the company, YouTube, like other Google-based video and gaming services, would be available exclusively to passengers and while the car is parked.
The Polestar 2 was the first vehicle to include Google, and the automaker announced earlier this year that the Polestar 3 will include Google’s HD mapping technology; the YouTube debut is the next natural step. Google anticipates announcing additional automaker agreements in the coming weeks and months.
Google has announced collaborations with Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. It should be noted that the Mercedes deal is distinct from this larger offering. Mercedes-Benz describes it as a licensing arrangement that will incorporate the Google Maps platform, Cloud, and YouTube into future Mercedes-Benz automobiles equipped with the automaker’s next-generation operating system, MB.OS.
At the I/O event, Google also introduced new methods to game in the vehicle. Cars with Google built-in may now play games from GameSnacks for Android Auto. GameSnacks is a platform that provides a collection of bite-sized games such as Solitaire and Beach Buggy Racing, which are ideal for playing while waiting for your car to charge or while picking up your children from school.
Google announced Wednesday at its annual developer conference that it expects the number of cars equipped with Google to quadruple by the end of the year. The business did not provide a baseline, but Google is already embedded into automobiles from brands such as Chevrolet, Renault, Volvo, and Honda, implying that the in-car gaming revolution has even more potential.
Others in the auto business have been looking into additional in-car gaming options. Polestar, along with BYD and Hyundai, is also collaborating with Nvidia to provide GeForce Now, the company’s on-demand cloud gaming service, to certain vehicles. Tesla has long provided in-car gaming, and last year the company integrated Steam’s library of thousands of games into its vehicles. In addition, BMW teamed with gaming platform AirConsole last year to deliver a library of single and multiplayer games to future vehicles beginning with the BMW 7 series in 2023.
