Heated seats are the latest microtransaction available in some high-end BMW cars, joining other features such as advanced cruise control and automatic beam switching as monthly subscriptions.
As reported by The Verge, BMW currently offers the feature in the UK, Germany, New Zealand, and South Africa for the equivalent of around $18 a month or $415 for lifetime access, available to purchase on its store.
If a customer's car has the option to buy heated seats or other add-ons then the components and functionality already exist within the vehicle, but BMW has a software block that prevent them from being used without paying.
Night drive in a 530e. Pressed the high beam assist button, but a message from the car essentially said "no, you need to buy the feature first on the ConnectedDrive store." BMW and Merc both keen to do this more in future, so this won't be the first time we'll see it… 💡💰 pic.twitter.com/hQzkwhP1Oe
— Jake Groves (@_jakegroves) March 24, 2021
Jake Groves shared his experience with the microtransactions on Twitter (above), saying that, as he was driving the BMW 530e, he pressed the high beam assist button only to be told that he first had to purchase this on the store, where it's priced at the equivalent of around $12 a month or $237 for unlimited access.
There are several other features available to purchase – some of which can only be bought outright for up to £750 (or $888) – like the alert that notifies the driver when they're nearing a speed camera, something which is often free if you use your phone as a satnav.
The full list includes: active cruise control with stop and go function, adaptive M suspension, Apple CarPlay preparation, the BMW drive recorder, the BMW safety camera information, Driving Assistant Plus, front seat heating, high beam assistant, IconicSounds Sport, the map update package, the online entertainment voucher, and steering wheel heating.
BMW's rival Tesla has introduced some wacky new features recently too, such as a karaoke mic for its cars and the ability to play games including The Witcher 3.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.