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Mercedes-Benz car owners will soon be able to play Need for Speed on their dashboard and we are not sure why

At the recent , announced a collaboration with and to introduce to its vehicles, starting with – no surprise here – . The game will be accessible in Mercedes vehicles in China by the end of the year, powered by the third generation of its system. Markus Schafer, Chief Technology Officer at Mercedes-Benz, described the vehicle as becoming a "personal arcade" and sees gaming as one way to enhance the in-car experience. For the uninitiated, Need for Speed: Assemble is based on the popular EA franchise and to celebrate its 30th anniversary, will be available via an over-the-air update for vehicles equipped with the latest MBUX system. Mercedes also stressed that safety is still paramount, and that the game can only be played with a Bluetooth controller when the vehicle is parked. There are so many reasons why in-car gaming feels like an oddity to me. For one, there are already ways to play games a car. On your smartphones or tablets, or even a Nintendo Switch, for example. That your Mercedes must be parked (for obvious traffic safety reasons) in order to play Need for Speed is befuddling – why not just play the game in the comfort of your home? Judging by the image that Mercedes shared, it doesn’t seem awfully comfortable to turn your neck at an angle to view the screen for a prolong period too. The rollout, while starting in China, is expected to extend to other markets and it will be really interesting to see where in-car gaming goes.