Musk Says Tesla to Add “Party Mode” and Atari Games as Part of Software Update

With the rapid changes in the automotive industry, the car is now not just meant for getting from one place to another but is also meant to be a source of comfort and entertainment. Tesla has come closer than ever to fulfilling this aspect for those who own its models, going by information tweeted by the company’s CEO, Elon Musk. Tesla owners will shortly receive a software update that will give them access to classic Atari games like Pole Position on the touchscreen.

Through a series of Tweets, Elon Musk announced that Tesla’s free V9.0 software release which is slated to be launched within a month will have a couple of rather interesting features.
The first feature that the software will have is the “party & camper” mode. In this mode, the battery of the Tesla car can be used to power control the temperature, selected lights, the air flow and even the power devices and audio systems. The car can thus be transformed into a climate-controlled party venue.
The second feature is one that would make all gaming fans happy as it is said that the new update would also include a few classic Tari games. With all Tesla models having reasonably big screens and plenty of buttons and dials, having such a feature would make it easy to convert the Tesla into a gaming room as well.
Musk has made it clear that he is recruiting game developers who will be able to help Tesla come up with original games that are unique and will be able to integrate the use of the screen, a smartphone and the car itself.
According to Musk, the games that will be available initially are likely to be Missile Command, Tempest and Pole Position and for playing these games, the steering wheel will be used as the control input. This, of couse means that the games cannot be played while the car is being driven.
No one in the 80s could have imagined that it would be possible to drive a car that would come with a giant touch-sensitive TV screen on which you could play video games and that this functionality would be available as a wireless update well after you bought the car. The automotive industry is evolving at such a rapid pace that all this and more is possible nowadays.