AirConsole is an online video game console where your smartphones are the gamepads and your web browser is the console.
AirConsole is a product of Zurich-based N-Dream AG, according to its company site. Players gather around one shared screen in a browser and use their smartphones as gamepads, joining a session by entering the session code shown on the big screen. AirConsole says anyone can try it for free, and it sells a premium subscription, AirConsole Hero, as a monthly or yearly plan purchased in-app through Google Play or the Apple App Store.
On desktops AirConsole runs in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge; it also offers a Chrome App, apps for iOS and Android phones, and many of its biggest games on Android TV. Players do not need to share a WiFi network. The company site says AirConsole partners with automakers including BMW, Mini, and Volkswagen to integrate its casual games into car infotainment systems, that its games are optimized to run locally on the device rather than relying on game streaming, and that it has over 18 million players worldwide. Its library runs from party games such as Cards and Humanity to IRIS, a cooperative turn-based roguelite.
Key Features
- Smartphone gamepads — Players turn a smartphone browser or the AirConsole app into a controller by entering the session code displayed on the big screen.
- No extra hardware — AirConsole lists a computer or Android TV as the central screen plus one smartphone per player as everything needed.
- In-car gaming — AirConsole integrates casual games into car infotainment systems with automakers such as BMW, Mini, and Volkswagen.
- AirConsole Hero — The premium subscription lists unlimited players, no ad breaks, all games unlocked on PC, unique in-game content, and early game access.
References
- AIrConsole, airconsole.com
- About AirConsole, airconsole.com/info
- AirConsole Hero, airconsole.com/hero
- AirConsole - Company, corp.airconsole.com