outrun video game car drives as you play

the ‘outrun’ video game concept car by garnet hertz conflates real-life driving and racing video games

‘outrun‘, a prototype video game car by artist-scientist garnet hertz, combines a car-shaped arcade cabinet, electric golf cart, and custom software to produce a racing video game system that actually drives as you play. the windshield of the ‘outrun’ vehicle is embedded with custom software that transforms the scene ahead into an 8-bit-style screen. players navigate the car using the built-in steering wheel, but rather than solely causing the the virtual car to move through the landscape, the actual ‘outrun’ vehicle moves accordingly in real life.

creator garnet hertz expounds: ‘outrun [is designed] to de-simulate the driving component of a video game: where game simulations strive to be increasingly realistic (usually focused on graphics), this system pursues ‘real’ driving through the game. additionally, playing off the game-like experience one can have driving with an automobile navigation system, outrun explores the consequences of using only a computer model of the world as a navigation tool for driving.‘

the ‘outrun’ vehicle

michael mateas test-drives the car at the ‘build your own world‘ conference

the original ‘outrun’ video arcade cabinet

the car in progress

discussion and demo of the project

footage from an early test drive

via dvice