New GMC Hummer Infotainment System will be powered by Unreal Engine

[lazypc]

On 10/14/2020 at 11:01 AM, dalekphalm said:

 

While there are still a few auto manufacturers that have bad interfaces, that problem is actually largely solved already. The likes of Kia, Mercedes, Audi, etc, have infotainment systems that are fast and responsive. Granted, this is mostly just from the last few years, so it'll take time for that to trickle down to all cars.

 

Add in CarPlay and AndroidAuto, and the systems that currently exist pretty much serve most needs already.

What exactly does Unreal bring to the table here that doesn't exist elsewhere? They're not putting a Gaming PC inside the hummer (and even if they did, it would be so stupid niche that the vast majority of users wouldn't care).

 

I think it's still hit and miss depending on the manufacturer. Our 2020 Nissan is useable, but pretty crap and clunky, about on par with some Donut/Eclair Android action. The 2019 Chevrolet system is a lot more complex than the Nissan, and does a better job at putting pertinent information about the car where it needs to be. Even the menu navigation structure makes more sense. So if the Nissan is a 4/10 I would give the Chevy a 6/10. But neither is great, and especially after my fiancé bought the Nissan I am wishing she had taken the time to look at cars from more manufacturers, although not solely just based off the infotainment system.

 

CarPlay and AndroidAuto are good for certain things, putting music in the car I actually enjoy and letting me interact with it, being thumbs up/down with Pandora, or adding to a playlist. It also does a great job at being able to use up to date maps in navigation with traffic reports, because those are the things we expect in 2020 with smartphone apps. And all CarPlay or AndroidAuto really does is project the smartphone screen onto the infotainment system.

 

But everything else the infotainment system controls in the car, be it HVAC controls, Fuel Mileage, Tire Pressure Sensors, Backup Camera, Collision Sensor Warnings, or most actual car functions mean dropping out of CarPlay or AndroidAuto and using the stock interface. And IMO that ends up making an inconsistent experience, especially when like in the Nissan the stock interface is a relatively poor experience.

 

I don't think Unreal Engine is the salvation of the situation, or that it will even unify the experience between manufacturers. I think it just gives the developers a good set of tools to create a better experience. So they can spend less time having to build a front end from the ground up  and hopefully have a significantly more polished feel then if they did. Your also right that these tools probably already exist elsewhere. But name association, and being able to tell your kid, hey this is built on the same engine as your favorite game Fortnite is a total dad move, and likely to make your kid not any more impressed with you then they already are not.