Just in time to distract the many from the ongoing Twitter acquisition bailout drama, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has recently confirmed that the brand’s cars will see an integration of Valve’s Steam platform soon. As you’d expect, this allows owners to play games from the popular digital storefront directly in their Tesla electric vehicles (EVs).
Musk’s confirmation arrives as a reply to a tweet by the Tesla Owners Silicon Valley’s Twitter account on Saturday, which showcased the car’s built-in capability to run certain games. “We’re making progress with Steam integration,” he wrote. “Demo probably next month.”
This confirmation is also the latest and official update regarding the project since its initial announcement by the Tesla CEO via a tweet he shared earlier this year. In February, Musk revealed that the company plans to introduce Steam games to its vehicles, therefore saving it the trouble of licensing certain games individually for its in-car infotainment system. The integration would also allow Tesla car owners to access their existing library on the platform, with the likelihood of purchasing new games directly through their vehicles as well.
We’re making progress with Steam integration. Demo probably next month.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 15, 2022
Currently, the company is already offering a number of games through the infotainment system’s Arcade Mode, including Tempest, Super Breakout, Missile Command, Millipede, Beach Buggy Racing 2, as well as popular titles such as Cuphead and Stardew Valley. These games can be played via the infotainment system’s touch screen, a connected controller or even the car’s own steering wheel, though the latter is only accessible when the car is not currently on a journey (ie: when it is charging).
Musk had also previously promised to bring CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 to Tesla cars. However, these are limited to the Model S and X vehicles, which infotainment systems are equipped with AMD’s Ryzen processor and RDNA 2 GPU. It is unclear whether the upcoming Steam integration will apply across all of the company’s vehicles or just the two aforementioned models.
Should the integration pull through, Tesla would be the first brand to actually incorporate a full-fledged gaming platform to cars. Even though Apple CarPlay and Android Auto feature a handful of games for supported vehicles, their offerings barely hold a candle to Steam’s massive library. Perhaps Sony and Honda’s upcoming joint venture could pose some competition?
And before we wrap up this article, we would like to kindly remind drivers to not play games in your vehicle – regardless whether it is available through the infotainment system, a handheld console, or a mobile phone. The only exception is when your car is fully parked while waiting for someone or, for EV owners, when waiting for its battery to be fully charged. Or just let your passengers have all the fun. Drive safe always.
