General Motors patented intriguing tech that would turn a vehicle into a video game controller. If the tech ever sees production, it could make your commute to work a whole lot more fun by turning the drive into a virtual reality version of Forza Horizon.
The patent documentation describes several applications of this idea. In one of them, a user would activate the game while driving, and the vehicle's various sensors would combine their data to create a virtual representation of the surroundings. The display could be a screen in the car, virtual reality glasses, or augmented reality, according to the company's concept.
The filing primarily focuses on using the steering wheel and pedals to control the car in the game. Although, one section says that gaming controllers or joysticks would also work, suggesting passengers might also be able to play.
Weather sensors would add another layer of realism to the game. If it's raining in real life, you'd see this in the virtual world, too. One of the weirder elements in the patent is that if you're playing on an especially hot day, the world would appear to melt. Similarly, things could look frozen on a very cold day.
The other application of this tech would work while the car is parked. In that case, the driver would activate the game, and then play it using the steering wheel and pedals as the control inputs. The result would be that the vehicles supporting this feature would double as a virtual driving cockpit.
GM's patent doesn't say how the company intends to use this tech in the real world. Having people playing video games while driving could be dangerous for other people on the road. Tesla briefly let occupants use its Passenger Play function while the vehicle was on the move, but NHTSA forced the company to make the feature only work while parked.
