EQS Sedan

Segment
Sedan
  • Mercedes partnered with Unity Technology on the Vision EQXX's infotainment
  • MB.OS will be available from 2024 as a replacement for MBUX
  • Enhanced visuals, augmented reality, and "digital butlers" will become part of the in-car experience

Cars are, now more than ever, an extension of our homes and mobile devices. Much more than just engines and wheels for mobility, they are the environments in which we consume news, spend time with our families, listen to music, check the weather, and more. That's why we see the integration of assistants like Amazon Alexa and why Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration are the industry standard. As cars fulfill this greater purpose, their infotainment systems matter as much as the powertrain. Perhaps this is why Mercedes-Benz is partnering with an unlikely bedfellow to develop the successor to the MBUX system we know and love.

The partner in question is Unity Technologies, and Mercedes will be tapping into its gaming software - which has powered the likes of Pokemon Go, Final Fantasy IX, and various augmented reality games.

And your parents told you gaming wouldn't prepare you for your future?

Scheduled to make its debut in 2024 model year Mercedes vehicles, Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) will succeed the current Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) software co-developed by Daimler and Luxoft, which has peaked in the form of the 56-inch Mercedes Hyperscreen.

MB.OS will leverage Unity Technologies' development platform and runtime architecture which underpins 70% of all mobile games currently on the market.

As for what we can expect from the new software, the possibilities are seemingly endless. The two companies have already been in cahoots for the last five years, but until now, we'd only seen the fruits of the collaboration in concept form, like the Vision EQXX concept's 47.5-inch infotainment.

Mercedes will have access to 37 different platforms covering hardware, software headset, handset, and social media. More than this, by leveraging Unity Industrial Collection - a 3D product visualization software bundle - we could see augmented reality play an even bigger role in future Mercedes products like the EQS Sedan and SUV, and perhaps even the EQG off-roader. This technology will allow Mercedes to tailor a fully digital cockpit experience with digital instrumentation, displays for all occupants, and the potential for 3D augmented reality maps and virtual assistants.

You'll no longer say "Hey, Mercedes" and get a response from a voice in the dash of your car, but you'll be able to talk to an avatar or a "digital butler" representing your car. Augmented reality will become an even greater part of your driving experience - likely in the form of enhanced head-up displays giving you additional information on your surroundings.

This sort of technology could be implemented in numerous ways. For rear-seat occupants, or when your vehicle is parked, it could turn the infotainment system into an extension of one's home or office environment. The technology could create immersive gaming and messaging applications but also extend to audio and video streaming for passengers. The user interface will be able to reach new heights courtesy of Unity's 3D-Game Engine, which is capable of "creating an extremely realistic representation of the real world."

Using the Unity 3D-Game Engine, "The visuals are like nothing you've ever seen before in the car industry," said Magnus Ostberg, chief software officer for Mercedes-Benz, calling the vision "digital luxury."

CarBuzz has previously spoken out on the concept that digitalization doesn't necessarily equal luxury, which is why in our annual CarBuzz Awards last year, the Genesis G80 was held in equally high regard as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class for its interior, despite lacking all the bells and whistles. Part of our rationale was that so many screens and so much digital interference can become an overload on the senses. Mercedes and Unity have thought around this, though.

The same software is already being used in other vehicles, says Dave Rhodes, senior vice president and general manager of Digital Twins, a division of Unity. The lessons learned from those vehicles will enable enhancements. According to Rhodes, the tech company has learned how to navigate dynamics such as privacy issues, ads, and the ability to play mobile games.

We'd like to wait and see the product in action before we cast a verdict. There's a fine line between the digital experience enhancing luxury and ruining it - but at least Mercedes has chosen a partner with experience in the field. This development also substantiates Mercedes' recent doubts over Apple CarPlay's projected ability to take over the entire dashboard on modern vehicles.

It's not the first automaker to leverage the world of gaming for the development of its infotainment, however. The Unreal Engine has found use in vehicles like the GMC Hummer EV, which has enabled GM to create vivid user interfaces unlike anything used before. Depending on how MB.OS makes use of the tools at its disposal with Unity, it could redefine the way we view in-car entertainment.