Audi owners in Germany can now buy an in-car VR system for rear passengers.
The €700 kit is sold by German startup Holoride. It contains HTC’s ultra-compact Vive Flow headset and a wireless gamepad. If you already own a Vive Flow, you can buy the controller for €50.
Instead of running the standard Flow system software and store, Holoride provides a custom platform with a curated content catalog. The unique feature is that each title syncs the real steering, accelerating, and breaking of the car to what you see in VR, which the startup claims “minimizes” motion sickness.
The platform currently has 2 original immersive games, 2 casual puzzle games, 4 educational experiences, smartphone mirroring, and a web browser with support for YouTube and Twitch.
Holoride is a subscription service. The kit comes with 12 months of access, but after you’ll need to pay either €20/month or €180/year (saving 25%). It requires a “stable internet connection”, either through the car or your phone.
To use Holoride you connect Flow to the car via Bluetooth. The headset can be powered by the back seat USB ports, a power bank, or your phone. Audi A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, Q5, Q7, Q8, etron, etron Sportback, and etron GT vehicles manufactured after June 2022 are supported.
Holoride plans to expand to the US early next year and then to other countries in Europe & Asia later next year. It describes Audi as the “first” partner, suggesting it could come to other car makers in the future.
