Recently, I discovered a cool way to kill time while my charging up my Ioniq 5: Playing Civilization 6 on the go! If you ever find yourself bored while waiting at a charging station that never reaches its advertised maximum, you can at least entertain yourself for a little bit and turn your car into a mini gaming setup. You’ll need 3 key things; a Carlinkit AI Box (not it’s not AI like you hear on the news), GeForce Now (or any other game streaming service), and a mobile internet connection.
Here’s How I Set It Up
- Carlinkit AI Box:
I picked up a Carlinkit AI box that runs Android 13. It’s what makes the whole thing work by letting me use Android apps on my car’s display. (If you’re interested, you can check it out here.) - GeForce Now:
Next, I signed up for GeForce Now and downloaded their Android app on the AI box. This cloud gaming service streams games over the internet, so you don’t need a super-powerful machine in your car. - Internet Connection:
Since GeForce Now streams games, a stable internet connection is a must. If you’re in Canada and don’t want to rely on your phone’s hotspot, I recommend checking out Fizz for a budget-friendly mobile plan. They have super flexible plans, rollover data, non-contract, gift-able data, and data only options. Use my referral code GFAB2 if you decide to give it a try. - Getting the Game:
If you don’t already have Civ 6, you will need to purchase it through Steam for example. But if you already have it, then you just add the game through the GeForce Now menu and login to your Steam account. If Civ’s isn’t your thing, you can do this with any game available in the GFN catalog. - Extra Accessories:
I also use a small foldable keyboard + mouse combo to make controlling the game easier. It might sound odd to use a keyboard in your car, but it really makes a difference. If you want to see what I use, here’s a link to the keyboard.
My Experience
While I was waiting at the charging station, I just set everything up and jumped into the game. There’s something really satisfying about turning what would normally be downtime into a fun strategy session. It’s not perfect—streaming over mobile data can sometimes be a bit finicky—but overall for games that aren’t fast paced, it works great and makes charging stops a lot less boring.
I even snapped a picture of my gameplay, which you can see above. It’s kind of surreal to be able to play desktop games on your cars entertainment system while charging!
If you’re into gaming or just looking for a neat way to make the most of your time while your car charges, I highly recommend giving this a try.
The Carlinkit box isn’t just great for gaming—it unlocks a full Android experience that goes way beyond what Android Auto offers. For example, with a complete Android setup, you can use Tasker to automate your regular routines with apps like Waze, Google Maps, or ABRP. You can even install custom launchers to personalize your display. It really takes the EV driving experience to the next level.
Happy gaming, and safe travels!