Volvo taps Fortnite developer and Qualcomm for new EVs

The automotive realm and the gaming industry don’t normally come together that often, but when they do, magical things occur. When you hear of the two industries like this forming a collaboration, you normally think of driving simulators or games for platforms like the PS5 or Xbox.

We recently talked about some news on Prodrive’s expensive piece of living room furniture which is actually a simulator, but we found another interesting partnership between car maker Volvo and Epic Games. 

To backtrack a little, the company Epic Games is known in the online gaming industry as one of the premier game developers. With titles like Gears of War, Fall Guys, and a little game called Fortnite under their belt, they have carved themselves a global following and a solid reputation. They are also the minds behind the Unreal Engine. Simply put, the Unreal Engine is one of the best and most powerful realtime 3D creation tools in the industry. So when Volvo partnered with Epic Games, this is a big deal. 

The automotive industry is becoming smart as cars are starting to use operating systems. These will run every aspect of the car and may lead to autonomous self-driving features all car manufacturers are racing to develop. Volvo has enlisted the aid of Epic Games and their Unreal Engine to help them develop their Human Machine Interface or HMI. The partnership will specifically focus on the Driver Information Module aka DIM which are the displays providing the driver with relevant information and infotainment features. 

Volvo, with the Unreal Engine, will set a new standard in graphics and infotainment performance because they will also include Qualcomm's third-generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform. Yes, those computer chips powering your smartphone will now be powering Volvo’s new operating system platform as well. 

The new Volvo operating system will be twice as fast as the previous version and graphics and processing power will be ten times better. Volvo expects to release this new OS by the year 2030 with their new batch of electric vehicles. Welcome to a brave new world.