Tesla has informed vehicle owners that new models will not include Steam Gaming support, a feature introduced with the Model S and Model X in December 2022 as part of the annual Holiday Update.
Steam, a gaming platform with an extensive game library, was integrated into Tesla vehicles nearly two years ago. CEO Elon Musk championed this feature as a significant advancement during the summer of 2022.
However, owners are now being informed that their vehicles will lose Steam functionality. The automaker notified a new Model X owner before delivery that the gaming features would be restricted.
The message states:
"Tesla is upgrading the gaming computer in your Model X, which means your vehicle will no longer support playing Steam games. However, all other entertainment and app functionalities will remain unaffected."
Tesla has been implementing widespread changes across its operations to conserve cash. One of the most significant actions has been the large-scale layoffs over the past month, reducing the workforce by 10 to 20 percent.
It appears that some of these cost-cutting measures are now affecting the vehicles themselves.
Several Reddit users responded to the initial post with speculations about why Tesla might be removing this feature. Possible reasons included low usage, poor gaming experience, and battery drain.
Many believed that integrating Steam was part of Tesla's push towards in-car entertainment for future autonomous travel, as the company has been working on robotaxis and a complete Full Self-Driving suite. However, it seems this feature will not be included in future vehicle models.