People Apparently Want More Screens Inside Their Cars? For In-Car Entertainment?

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQSImage: Mercedes-Benz

Vehicle screens keep getting bigger. You’ll be hard pressed to find a car with a screen size less than eight inches, even on base models. A recent survey shows buyers want more in-car entertainment and they’re willing to have more screens to get it, as Variety reports.

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A connected car entertainment survey from DTS shows buyers want in vehicle entertainment services and screens front and rear to run those services. Luxury and ultra-luxury car buyers also want more screens in their cars. And while audio remains popular, more people reported watching video in their vehicles now.

Radio remains the most sought after entertainment experience in the car, though 39% of survey respondents say video is now watched in their car, up from 31% in 2022. The primary reasons given for watching video in the car is to keep children entertained and to pass time while waiting for someone or something.

The survey showed that people are mainly watching shorts from places like YouTube and TikTok. On longer trips or when charging EVs, they’re watching movies or shows from streaming services which isn’t at all surprising. The primary reason for watching video in cars though shouldn’t be surprising either. For many parents, tech is used as babysitter now; 32-percent of survey respondents said the primary reason for watching videos in their vehicle was to keep kids entertained.

The most surprising part of the survey was the results regarding more screens, as Variety explained.

…56% of respondents said they would like a front cabin screen, while 58% would want a rear cabin screen built into their next car. That interest was the highest from ultra-luxury car buyers, with 91% saying they want front cabin screens and 88% desiring a screen in the rear.

Many luxury and ultra-luxury vehicles already come with multiple in vehicle screens, so I’d really like to know where these people expect these other screens to go. The Jeep Grand Wagoneer for instance has an in-dash screen for the front passenger and two rear screens for the second row. Ultra-luxury cars like the Maybach S680 come standard with dual-rear entertainment screens. If automakers are keeping an eye out on surveys like this, we might need to prepare for a screen overload in the next few years.