AirConsole Comes to Zeekr: First Geely Deal After 5 Million Cars

The AirConsole platform, which turns passengers' smartphones into game controllers for a car's screen, has signed its first agreement inside Geely Auto Group. The partner is the electric brand Zeekr. The demo will take place at the Paris Motor Show, and the service will arrive in select production models by the end of 2026. Today AirConsole runs in more than 5 million BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Škoda and Tata cars.

What we know about the deal

The key fact here is not Zeekr itself but that the platform is expanding for the first time beyond the European and Indian automakers where it is already established. Until now, its client list consisted of the Volkswagen Group (Audi, Porsche, Škoda), BMW and Tata. Now a Chinese group is joining it, one that controls several brands and is rapidly expanding its presence in Europe. For AirConsole, Zeekr could become a beachhead: if the service takes hold, it will have a clear path to other brands within Geely.

The available part of the announcement does not name specific Zeekr models, the terms of the contract or the contents of the game catalog. Those details will likely be revealed in Paris. For now, three things are confirmed: a demo at the motor show, a launch in select models and a deadline of the end of 2026.

Key parameters

• Partner: Zeekr, the first Geely Auto Group brand on the platform.
• Demo: Paris Motor Show.
• Launch: select models, by the end of 2026.
• Installed base: more than 5 million cars.
• Current partners: BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Škoda, Tata.
• Format: passengers' smartphones as controllers, the car's screen as the gaming surface.

Why automakers want games on board

The logic behind these services is down to earth. Large displays are already installed in the cabin, they already have a processor, and the wait while an EV charges cannot be shortened. Against that backdrop, gaming becomes a way to keep passengers occupied, above all children in the back seat, and to make the car feel like a digital product rather than just transport. For a brand like Zeekr, which builds its image on technology, it is an inexpensive way to strengthen the impression the cabin makes.

AirConsole's approach has a practical advantage: the phone serves as the controller, so the car needs no added gamepads or separate peripherals. The automaker gets a ready-made software layer and catalog instead of having to build its own game store. For a company that makes cars rather than software, this is a sensible division of labor.

What to watch next

Three points matter for the industry. First, which Zeekr models will get the service: if only flagships, it is a showcase; if mass-market versions, it is a real product. Second, how the platform will handle rules for the driver: games should be available to passengers but must not distract the person behind the wheel. Third, whether other Geely brands appear on the list after launch.

Game developers should take this direction seriously: an installed base growing beyond 5 million cars means an audience that was not previously counted as gamers. EV buyers should ask which entertainment features are available from day one and which will arrive with updates, since the "by the end of 2026" deadline applies only to select models.