The idea of playing games in the car usually evokes memories of childhood road trips, Gameboys or other handheld consoles and — if you’re part of the Gameboy generation — trying to play by the light of the streetlamps because Nintendo hadn’t yet heard of backlit screens. As adults, gaming behind the wheel is generally frowned upon, but that hasn’t stopped Tesla from adding an arcade to its cars. What’s the deal with Tesla Arcade?
Gaming in a Self-Driving Car
The Tesla Model S Plaid, released for the 2022 model year, was an exciting entry into the electric vehicle marketplace, capable of generating 1,020 horsepower and reaching 0-60 in less than 2 seconds. To the envy of computer gamers, the car also came equipped with an AMD Navi 23 GPU specifically for gaming.
Despite sitting in the center console of a sedan, this Tesla Arcade gaming system has the potential to rival the PlayStation 5 when it comes to graphic performance.
While it might not have the same gaming power, any recent Tesla that contains Media Control Unit 2 (MCU2) received the Tesla Arcade update that includes a variety of built-in games like Fallout Shelter, Stardew Valley and even the ever-infuriating Cuphead. It sounds like a great tool for keeping kids entertained during long road trips, but is turning the infotainment system into an arcade really the best idea when it comes to safety?
Creating Serious Safety Risks
In 2018, there were more than 6.7 million car accidents in the United States alone. Autonomous vehicles, in addition to providing convenience and accessibility, have the potential to reduce the number of accidents that happen every year. These self-driving features might sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but it’s slowly coming into reality — and it’s no stranger to accidents.
In 2018, a Model X in California in self-driving mode accelerated into a concrete barrier, crashing and killing the driver. While part of this accident was the fault of the car and its programming, the driver is also at fault — he was playing a video game on his phone and was too distracted to take over control and correct the car before it collided with the wall.
Previously, the Tesla Arcade features were only usable when the car was in park, but the new update means that passengers — and even drivers, when the car is in its self-driving mode — can play their favorite games while the car is in motion.
Bad Idea or In Need of Tweaking?
Being able to take your video games with you without the need for a Nintendo Switch or other portable console sounds like a great way to keep the kids entertained during a long drive. Putting the controller in the hands of the driver — even if the car is driving itself — isn’t the smartest idea.
Tesla might not be keen to roll back their arcade but until they can ensure that the driver is paying attention at all times — or the self-driving technology has improved to the point that it’s not necessary — it might be the best idea to keep drivers and passengers safe.