Volkswagen GTI: No Manual, But You Can Play Pac-Man Now

Volkswagen partnered with Bandai Namco to bring the iconic arcade game to cars in Europe.

Photo by: Volkswagen

By: Christopher Smith

Apr 14, 2025 at 2:30pm ET

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Video gaming in cars is nothing new. Ever since thin TV screens became a thing in the 2000s, companies have offered all kinds of ways for passengers (those immune to road sickness, anyway) to pass the time with games. The ever-expanding sea of in-car apps has also brought gaming to cars, but this new deal from Volkswagen goes beyond a set of generic card games or first-person shooters.

Pac-Man is about as iconic as it gets in the video game world. It anchored every arcade through the 1980s. It ported very nicely to early game consoles like the Atari 2600. And now you can play it in your Volkswagen GTI. Actually, you can play it in a bunch of VWs starting with the 2025 model year, including the Tiguan, ID models, and more.

There's more to all of this than just playing Pac-Man in the car. This version of the game is called Pac-Man Championship Edition, and it's coded specifically for Volkswagen, with VW-shaped power-ups to earn you more points. The power pellets required to eat the ghosts are VW logos. And it syncs with the vehicle's interior lighting for an "immersive gaming experience." On ID models, it also vibes with ID Light at the base of the windshield.

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VW partnered with Bandai Namco and N-Dream to make the game available, and it's playable through the optional AirConsole in-car app. You control the action through a Smartphone, though VW is keen to point out the game can only be played when the vehicle is parked.

Unfortunately, in-car Pac-Man is only available in Europe for now. We contacted VW to see about availability in North America. Unlike the manual GTI, which died last year, there might still be hope for customers Stateside to experience arcade action from behind the wheel.