I have read countless Science-Fiction novels and grew up on cartoons like The Jetsons and Star Trek: Enterprise. All of the technology I witnessed within those things seemed like something that would be unattainable in my lifetime, and yet here we are with progress marching ever forward.

While we aren't quite at Enterprise holo-deck level yet, the mere idea that a car is going to offer an integrated Virtual Reality (VR) experience just blows my mind. Audi's holoride feature promises to deliver gaming, movies, and more sometime later this year. In-car technology has been evolving quite a bit in the last 10 years, and now infotainment and safety equipment is becoming more advanced by the day. 

Starting in June, passengers will be able to use HTC's Vive Flow virtual reality glasses (or any other Bluetooth VR headset that has Holoride support) to view games, films, and lots of other content. Audi says that the technology will adapt certain custom virtual content "to the car's driving movements in real time: For example, if the car is taking a right turn, the spaceship in the imaginary world will also fly to the right. If the car accelerates, the spaceship speeds up too."

Audi first unveiled Holoride back at CES in 2019 and teamed up with Disney on a Marvel Universe VR in-car experience. They also toured game studios in 2021 so that attendees could take demo rides in an Audi e-tron. Holoride will first launch in the U.S., Germany, and the U.K. Audi says that they also intend to expand to Asian markets in the future, too.

Holoride is meant to entertain backseat passengers, but given the advancements in self-driving technology lately it seems to be an optimistic projection that eventually experiences like this could be had by everyone in the vehicle at the same time. Audi's vision is one of immersive content and entertainment, something that will likely appeal to many families who intend to do lots of traveling together.

How do you feel about self-driving cars and these advancements in technology? I've never been in a self-driving car myself, though I've enjoyed the perks of certain smart technology in newer automobiles. Share your thoughts with me!