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Tesla launches new ‘Arcade’ app, produces funny commercial with racing game

After first teasing it at E3 last week, Tesla is now launching its new ‘Arcade’ app and it produced a funny commercial for its new in-car racing game.

Tesla first introduced ‘Teslatari’, an emulator of Atari games from the 70s and 80s that runs on Tesla vehicle computers last year.

They started with a few games, like Asteroids and Pole Position, but Musk said that it was only the beginning of the automaker’s venture into games inside its vehicles.

They want to add more Atari games to the emulator, but Musk has also made it clear they plan to add other games from other companies as well.

Last month the CEO said that they are working on porting the Unity and Unreal video game engines to Tesla vehicles.

At the time, he said that they managed to make Cuphead and a racing game work on the Tesla onboard computer and at E3 last week, Musk unveiled the first images of these games working inside a Model 3.

It gave us our first look at what is now known as ‘Tesla Arcade’ a new app within Tesla’s in-car system to launch the games, which were previously in the Easter Egg drawer.

Now Tesla says that it is starting to roll out Tesla Arcade with the first game, Beach Buggy Racing 2 by Vector Unit, today and it produced a fun commercial for it:

The automaker describes ‘Tesla Arcade’:

“Access the full library of games directly from the vehicle’s touchscreen to play gaming classics like Atari Missile Command and Asteroids – or experience our newest addition, Beach Buggy Racing 2, a kart racing game where you can careen, blast and launch your way through 22 tracks. Players can recruit new drivers (see if you can find our favorite) and use the steering wheel controls for the most immersive gaming experience.”

Tesla says that starting today, people can visit their showrooms to play the game in the display vehicles.

Electrek’s Take

This actually looks like it could be a solid TV commercial – though I doubt Tesla will actually use it and buy advertising time for it.

It’s also interesting that they are inviting people to go into showrooms to play the game, which sort of turns the Tesla stores into arcades themselves.

It should be good to increase foot traffic at the Tesla showrooms at the end of the quarter.

My only problem with the whole thing is that the video seems to show the wheels turning when using the steering wheel as a controller in the game.

That seems completely unnecessary to me and it could cause some wear. Maybe they made this just for dramatic effect for the commercial?

Update: A source has confirmed that Tesla indeed exaggerated the wheel movements for the video. Tesla told Electrek that they have tuned the game for minimal steering wheel movement. Also, you will be able to use the touchscreen or game controller instead of the wheel.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Avatar for Fred Lambert Fred Lambert

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