After much anticipation, Tesla has finally integrated the game distribution service Steam into their car software. Tesla head Elon Musk, who has been making many headlines since acquiring the social media website Twitter, has been trying to make this a reality for years.
A self-confessed gamer, Musk has often joked about playing big video game titles in cars, and that’s now possible because of the Steam integration. Atari games and other video game titles like Cuphead and Fallout Shelter were already playable on some of the Tesla cars.
Steam, however, provides a whole new range of titles for video game and automobile enthusiasts to play around with. With Steam integrated into the car, popular video game titles like CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 can now be played in a car. In essence, any of the best esports games that can be played on a Steam Deck can be played inside a Tesla.
@ Tesla
The Future Of Cars
Video games in cars are a little hard to comprehend if readers aren’t up to date with Tesla’s long-term vision. Tesla and other automobile giants like BMW and Mercedes are preparing for a future where most cars will be run by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
This technological advancement is well underway. Trucks are most likely to be the first vehicles to undergo the AI treatment, with other vehicles set to go through the same process over time.
If all this feels like something from a sci-fi novel or movie, it’s because many popular sci-fi novels are set in this period or a future not too far from this period. There are, of course, many ethical dilemmas that the masses will have to deal with whenever such advancements in technology come about – employment being the foremost.
Most expert opinion on this subject suggests that human labor will still be significant with specific tasks, but less than before. One of the examples used by many who advocate for such advancements is the ATM, which replaced some of the functions taken up by a bank teller, but didn’t prevent a bank teller from providing other banking services.
Why Play Video Games In Cars?
It isn’t hard to envision why occupying oneself with a source of entertainment is better than driving through traffic. In Tesla’s grand scheme, cars will be able to drive themselves, and so an entertainment system that goes beyond just music and streaming does seem a no-brainer. In the world as it is, however, the extent of video game usage will probably be limited to recharging stops and long-drive weekend getaways. The possibility that these devices will be powered by Starlink is also a distinct possibility.
Of course, taking up this position in the discussion ignores the pleasure of driving a vehicle. There’s always been that age-old claim of science snatching something away from humanity, and that will continue to linger with such technological advancements.
Another thing to remember is the sociological concept called ‘the third place’ by Ray Oldenberg, which proposed that cars will become the third significant zone outside home and work. Oldenberg, of course, could not have anticipated something like the COVID-19 pandemic, which questioned just how essential workplaces are.
For now, work remains one of the essential zones, but it’s hard to confirm that cars will become as crucial in the future. There could be a bizarre future where cars – not dissimilar to caravans – will take up the role of homes because of a lack of space or rising housing costs, but that also doesn’t look likely for the time being.
For now, playing some of the best crossplay games in cars seems like a luxury. The Steam integration might be one of the first steps towards making this activity a norm.
