Gaming in your car sounds like an issue waiting to happen, but Tesla Model S and X owners have been able to play Steam games in their cars since late 2022. Unfortunately, that privilege is ending soon, with Tesla dropping support for upcoming Model X vehicles that customers are waiting for.
If you love the idea of catching up on your backlog in your car, you may need to opt for the best phone controller or the best gaming handhelds instead. Electrek shared that Tesla owners waiting for delivery of Model S and Model X cars have been notified of the car manufacturer dropping support for Steam.
"Tesla is updating the gaming computer in your Model X, and your vehicle is no longer capable of playing Steam games. All other entertainment and app functionalities are unaffected," Tesla's statement to customers reads. It appears that those who already have a Tesla car are unaffected, but we will update this story if Tesla shares more information.
Most people won't buy a Tesla solely to use it as a gaming device. If that was the sole reason, you could easily buy a cheaper car and still spend a lot of money on a handheld like the ASUS ROG Ally X or the Steam Deck OLED, and have money to spare.
However, it's always disappointing to see existing features scrapped for new owners. The idea is fairly niche, and it's understandable why Tesla may remove the Steam integration, perhaps due to a lack of adoption from existing customers, but there's likely plenty of people who enjoy using it.
This isn't the first time Tesla has removed apps or software. In late 2023, Tesla removed the Disney+ app for users due to arguments between Disney CEO Bob Iger and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla.
Hopefully, those waiting for a new Tesla Model X can find their gaming fix elsewhere. In fact, you could wait for the potential Steam Deck 2 or the Nintendo Switch 2, whenever they release.