Tesla has announced that it would discontinue “passenger play,” which enables users to play video games on the central screen of their vehicles while driving. The move comes after the NHTSA declared that it is conducting an official investigation into the matter.
Tesla has recently increased its focus on video games within its vehicles to “optimise fun” with its ownership experience.
Last year, Tesla started establishing a new video game and user interface team in Austin, Texas. The objective is to construct the Tesla Arcade platform and integrate as many video games as possible. Video games are typically intended to be played while parked or charging, but Tesla enables them to be played while driving following a warning that the feature, known as “passenger play,” should only be used by passengers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed earlier this month that it is in discussions with Tesla concerning the “passenger play” problem. NTHSA announced yesterday that it has launched an official investigation into the incident and planned to investigate how the function is used.
The investigation put enough pressure on Tesla that it decided to remove the function.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed Tesla’s move today, saying, “The firm will send out a software update over the Internet so the function called “Passenger Play” will be locked and won’t work when vehicles are in motion.”
Despite Tesla’s modification, the NHTSA says it will continue its investigation and look into how Tesla owners utilise the centre display and its entertainment options.