BMW's newest luxury sedan offers video games that use your phone as a controller

• BMW, like Tesla before it, is bringing video games to its luxury cars.
• Passengers will be able to play games in the new 5 Series using their phones as controllers.

The "Ultimate Driving Machine" is now the ultimate gaming machine.

BMW unveiled the latest version of its 5 Series sedan last week with an unlikely twist: in-car gaming. Drivers and passengers will be able to use their phones as controllers to play games in the new-and-improved model's touchscreen — but only when the car is parked.

People in both the front and back seats will be able to take part in the fun by scanning a QR code in the BMW's main screen to connect their phones. The gaming functionality comes from a partnership with a company called AirConsole and will come to future BMW models too.

BMW says around 15 games will be available to start, including quiz, racing, sports, and puzzle offerings.

The feature could come in mighty handy when owners of the i5 (the electric option) need to stop and charge up, BMW says. In an electric car, it isn't uncommon for charging pit stops to last 30 minutes or more, so buyers will surely welcome some entertainment.

The new 5 Series also comes in hybrid, diesel, and gas-powered versions.

BMW is taking a page out of Tesla's playbook. Elon Musk's firm pioneered the use of big touchscreens in cars and packs its vehicles with imaginative capabilities like Netflix, a web browser, and games (including a Mario Kart knockoff that uses the actual steering wheel).