Tesla cars end support for PC video gaming

Tesla is reported to end support for Steam-delivered PC games in its latest Model S and Model X (pictured), which might strike some as odd considering Tesla automobiles are mainly used for transport and not as a video games console.

PC game support had been introduced in a beta update to Tesla’s operating system in December 2022. Tesla owners could use it to play full-scale titles like Fallout 4, Baldur’s Gate 3, or Helldivers 2. But going forward, Model S and Model X buyers won’t be able to do so. Current owners of the vehicle seem to be exempted from the Steam support removal given Tesla’s history of leaving legacy features intact.

Per electric vehicle blog Electrek.co, Tesla owners were notified of the discontinuation of Steam support in a recent software update. “All other entertainment and app functionalities are unaffected.”

The video gaming was available when the car was parked and not in motion, whether the person playing the game was the driver or a passenger. Given that limitation, it’s quite likely that the company’s telemetry indicated very few people were using the capability and that’s the reason they pulled it from the entertainment system.

When the PC gaming capability was introduced, Tesla bragged that the Model S and Model X had “up to 10 teraflops of processing power” that made the car’s entertainment center “on par with today’s newest consoles via Tesla Arcade. Wireless controller compatibility allows gaming from any seat.”

Again, gaming was supported only as long as the car was stationary, so for parents looking to entertain kids on a long drive, this was not a very useful feature, and they were better off handing them a Nintendo Switch, mobile phone, or even a Steam Deck — which is, as its name suggests, Steam compatible.

Image via: Tesla.com