Tesla removes an original feature from its electric cars

Tesla removes an original feature from its electric cars

Two years after its arrival, the Steam games catalog is disappearing from Tesla cars. This is according to the automaker, which has already removed it from its Model S and Model X models. In recent years, cars have become veritable concentrates of technology. More than just vehicles, they're almost like smartphones on wheels.

An unexpected comeback

In addition to safety systems such as autonomous driving, electric cars are being enriched with less essential technologies that are making an impact, such as the Galaxy E8 and its 8K screen, or the Yangwang U8 capable of turning on itself. But Tesla is undoubtedly one of the brands to offer the most gadgets in its vehicles, in order to satisfy customers and constantly create a buzz. These include the ability to play video games directly on the central screen.

In addition to the mini-games that have been available for several years, the American company also offers access to the Steam catalog, which includes several thousand titles. This feature has been available since the end of 2022, but is not accessible to everyone. In fact, only Model S and Model X are compatible, and only those equipped with 16 GB RAM, i.e. those manufactured from mid-2022 onwards. The Model 3 and Model Y are therefore not compatible with this device.

But things change, and while Tesla is going through a rough patch and multiplying layoffs, now the firm has decided to remove support for Steam. This is confirmed by a message posted on the social network Reddit by a Model X buyer. The message simply states that the manufacturer is in the process of updating the electric SUV's on-board system, which no longer supports the online games catalog. This news applies to all new models delivered to customers.

Elon Musk's company points out, however, that the other functions available on the car's touchscreen will not be affected by this change. Applications such as YouTube and Netflix should be retained, as should karaoke, which is also available in cars from competitor BYD. It should also still be possible to play the mini-games that the American manufacturer has been offering in all its cars for several years, and which can be controlled via the steering wheel.

A relative success

However, the disappearance of Steam is unlikely to have a major impact on customers, and even less on sales for the automaker, which remains number 1 worldwide ahead of BYD and Volkswagen. And with good reason, it is said that the application's success with Model S and Model X owners was rather relative. What's more, we were also able to test the online catalog, which we felt still needed a good deal of improvement. These included work on multitasking, while we also noted a few bugs.

According to some users on Reddit, it was also impossible to get out of the car without the game in progress cutting out, which was rather annoying. This removal should also enable the manufacturer to reduce its expenses, while some employees describe a chaotic situation within the teams. However, the company is said to be working on the integration of other technologies, such as more advanced voice control and rear-view cameras.

At the same time, other manufacturers have chosen to integrate the Nvidia GeForce Now cloud gaming system into their cars. These include Polestar, BYD and Hyundai, among others. It's enough to rival the American firm, since this device supports several platforms, including Steam, EA Games and Ubisoft, among others. And, unlike Elon Musk's brand, it doesn't require a great deal of computing power.