Photo: Lexus
To say that gaming has taken flight during this global health crisis is a massive understatement. After all, with so much available time, nowhere to go, and great internet connections, what else is there to do? We can think of a few alternatives, but the truth is even automakers have caught the virtual bug more often than before. The latest to do so is Lexus, and the Twitch community jumped at the chance of transforming the luxurious IS into “the ultimate gaming space.”
There's no need to look too far back in time when searching for automotive-related gaming novelties. Just this month, Ford came up with a rocket-boosted 2021 F-150 that will showcase its neon-looking virtual persona in Rocket League, for example.
As far as Lexus and Twitch are concerned, they’re not even necessarily entitled to being labeled as strange bedfellows – remember Honda’s debut of the 2022 Civic prototype from last November? On the other hand, they are breaking new grounds with the “Gamers’ IS,” a concept vehicle that’s said to be “the first vehicle designed by and for the Twitch community as the ultimate gaming space.”
Taking advantage of the huge popularity of the live streaming service, last month Lexus alongside popular streamer Fuslie allowed more than half a million users to vote on their favorite upgrades that would make it onto the gaming vehicle prototype.
Now the updates have been completed, and we can see all the modifications, which range from a gaming-centric exterior wrap to unique controllers. The crowdsourced upgrades were implemented by Lexus with help from fabrication specialist SCPS.
The Gamers’ IS started life as an unassuming IS 350 F Sport, which is now looking ready for gaming wars as it got dressed up with the “Infiltrate” theme (48% of Twitch users voted in favor of the wrap), but the real magic happens inside. There, everything in bathed in the “Neon Tokyo” style of Japanese pop art aesthetic, according to the preferences of 55% of gamers.
SCPS also added unique upholstery elements, as well as “Smart Tint” windows that make the cabin ready for gameplay. Actually, that is the main reason for this vehicle’s existence, as it now features a bespoke gaming PC (MSI Gaming GeForce GPU and AMD CPU residing in the trunk), a fog machine, and automated RGB lasers, among others.
There’s also a passenger’s seat with haptic feedback for the integrated gaming system that includes a huge curved monitor, retractable mouse and keyboard, as well as a 3D-printed gaming controller.
As far as Lexus and Twitch are concerned, they’re not even necessarily entitled to being labeled as strange bedfellows – remember Honda’s debut of the 2022 Civic prototype from last November? On the other hand, they are breaking new grounds with the “Gamers’ IS,” a concept vehicle that’s said to be “the first vehicle designed by and for the Twitch community as the ultimate gaming space.”
Taking advantage of the huge popularity of the live streaming service, last month Lexus alongside popular streamer Fuslie allowed more than half a million users to vote on their favorite upgrades that would make it onto the gaming vehicle prototype.
Now the updates have been completed, and we can see all the modifications, which range from a gaming-centric exterior wrap to unique controllers. The crowdsourced upgrades were implemented by Lexus with help from fabrication specialist SCPS.
The Gamers’ IS started life as an unassuming IS 350 F Sport, which is now looking ready for gaming wars as it got dressed up with the “Infiltrate” theme (48% of Twitch users voted in favor of the wrap), but the real magic happens inside. There, everything in bathed in the “Neon Tokyo” style of Japanese pop art aesthetic, according to the preferences of 55% of gamers.
SCPS also added unique upholstery elements, as well as “Smart Tint” windows that make the cabin ready for gameplay. Actually, that is the main reason for this vehicle’s existence, as it now features a bespoke gaming PC (MSI Gaming GeForce GPU and AMD CPU residing in the trunk), a fog machine, and automated RGB lasers, among others.
There’s also a passenger’s seat with haptic feedback for the integrated gaming system that includes a huge curved monitor, retractable mouse and keyboard, as well as a 3D-printed gaming controller.
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