Tesla won't allow drivers to play games while driving anymore.

Tesla won't allow drivers to play games while driving anymore

Game over.

Games will still be available in Tesla cars, but only when the car isn't moving. Credit: Washington Post/Getty Images

Since 2019, Tesla offers full-fledged games in its infotainment system, and the company even allowed some of them to be played while the vehicle was moving. That is now coming to an end.

According to The Guardian, Tesla will stop allowing games to be played on center touch displays – a feature called Passenger Play – while cars are moving. The decision comes a day after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it would launch a formal investigation into whether Tesla's games are distracting drivers.                                                                                                                                                   

Until now, some of the games in Tesla cars could be launched and played while the car was in motion. The car would merely display a prompt asking the user to confirm that they're a passenger, but a driver could've easily answered "yes" to that prompt and proceeded to play the game while driving.


Beach Buggy Racing 2 is one of the games offered in Tesla Arcade, though that one isn't available while the car is moving. Credit: Tesla

In a statement, the NHTSA told The Guardian that Tesla would issue an update that will disable Passenger Play when the car is in motion. The agency said their investigation into whether Tesla's infotainment systems are a distraction to drivers would continue regardless of this decision.

The agency also launched a probe into Tesla's Autopilot system earlier this year.

Tesla cars offer a decent assortment of games in the Entertainment portion of the cars' infotainment systems, including Beach Buggy Racing 2SolitaireThe Battle of PolytopiaSuper Breakout, and – most recently – Sonic the Hedgehog. Some other infotainment features, including Caraoke and Sketch Pad, also require the user to confirm they're not driving; it's unclear whether those will stop being usable while the car is moving, too (we've asked Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Twitter and will update this article if he replies).

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Comments

  1. I want to play Need for Speed while driving. Tesla, please continue to allow me to do this. lol

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  2. A $100,000 iPad on wheels ;D

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  3. Game over, Literally.

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  4. Play whoever you want while driving.

    There's the option you bought your tesla, do what you want.

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    Replies
    1. It's just not that simple.

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    2. For me it is.

      If you want to play while driving great, just be aware that it's not right, it's not because you have the option of games you will play while driving.

      Be aware, be aware. People take things very literally, it's all so simple and they transform it.

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  5. Why did they ever think that was a good idea, we already have to worry about idiots texting or applying makeup while driving.

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  6. Everything that is cool, fun. They want to cut, in short, the current world.

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  7. Leave the man and his cars alone, he's already got enough trouble paying his taxes.

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  8. Self driving BUT you can’t use your display or playa. Game

    Self driving BUT you have to keep your hands on the wheel

    Self driving BUT you have to pay attention the entire time and never take your eyes of the road

    Eh might as well just fuckin drive

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  9. Raise your hand if you feel safer now....

    Nope! Trick question- you just took your hand off the steering wheel!

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  10. Another proof USA is under-regulated and that companies have too much power.

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  11. The fact that this was a thing is ridiculous

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  12. Headline is nonsense. Tesla never allowed drivers to play video games while driving, they allowed passengers to. In fact, Tesla had more features to prevent distracted driving that pretty much any other car company. I'm not a fan of Musk, but this is bullshit.

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  13. I can't change the time on the clock, or pair a new Bluetooth device while my car is in motion.. and they let people play games lol

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  14. Tesla is like an irresponsible aunt that will tell you not to do something but gives you a sly wink and walks away so you can do the thing anyways until she's caught.

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    Replies
    1. Sly wink? They disable those features for drivers who are caught.

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  15. Good. I don't need some jackoff playing Fortnite in a Tesla crashing into my loved ones.

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  16. A gaming monitor, visible to the driver?

    They thought they'd get away with that ?

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  17. Appalled that the NTSB or whoever regulates the auto industry doesn't already have a rule against shit like this. If you want to watch movies and play games, take the bus or call an uber/lyft.

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  18. What about driving games?

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    Replies
    1. There totally are driving games you can play with the wheel (hopefully not while driving).

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    2. There is actually a racing game you can play while parked, and you can actually use the wheel!

      Delete
  19. Gamers are really the most oppressed minority.

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    Replies
    1. My partner’s brother plays Pokémon Go while driving. He says it’s fine because he doesn’t have to look at the screen. But I can tell he’s still distracted. I refuse to get in a car with him to go anywhere now unless it’s less than a few blocks. Seriously games hijack the same parts of your brain that driving requires. Don’t fucking do it!!

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  20. ''I own a tesla''

    Gives me "as a gun owner" vibes lmao. You own a tesla so you know that it requires you to tap in a passenger first, right? So if you break that rule you're probably the type to be on your cell anyway, and that operating the screen for normal car functions is just as distracting as anything could be? This is a human problem lol

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  21. It's a human problem that could have been resolved in the design

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  22. Again, if you're the idiot to play games on your car, you can just as well play games on your phone. Do you want phones to disable themselves above certain speed? That would be much more beneficial

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  23. Wow. This is sensical. Disable all phone service above a certain speed and let's see everyone bitching in this thread completely reverse their positions.

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  24. It doesn't make sense tho because you can be a passenger in any vehicle at a high speed, why wouldn't you be able to use your phone?

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  25. Arguable backseat driving is the more important job! Without the constant information flow of a backseat driver it is very hard to manage on the road! /s

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  26. It would save a lot of lives lol. Wouldn't prevent parking lot fender benders though o.o

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  27. We're not talking about disabling the entire system, just games. My phone doesn't play videos or games when it's in car mode because that's common sense.

    People are idiots and will do idiotic things. When it's built into a car that can easily kill people, then you assume people will do idiotic things.

    This is literally a simple change that should have always been included.

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  28. We're not talking about disabling the entire system, just games. My phone doesn't play videos or games when it's in car mode because that's common sense.

    And you can take it out of car mode any time you want, right? Ah the touch of a button? Oh. Lmao

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  29. I feel like you're trying to create ridiculous scenarios to justify being able to use a cars in built entertainment system to play games whilst driving.

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  30. I'm being realistic

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