Sonic was recently added.
Tesla is being investigated by US regulators for the dangerous potential of its Passenger Play feature.
As previously reported, Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog has been added to Tesla vehicles alongside other games, with the intention of providing entertainment to passengers. However, the feature is also accessible to drivers.
As noted by The Gamer, the US National Highways and Traffic Safety Administration has issued a Preliminary Evaluation into the feature “which allows the gameplay to function on the front centre touchscreen while the vehicle is in motion and may present a distraction to the driver”.
The capability has been in place since December 2020; before this it was only possible while the vehicle was parked.
A complaint was made by Tesla owner Vince Patton, as reported by the LA Times, who was shocked to discover he could access games while driving. He was able to play the game Sky Force Reloaded while driving in an empty community car park.
“I was just dumbfounded that, yes, sure enough, this sophisticated video game came up,” said Patton
“Somebody’s going to get killed,” he said. “It’s absolutely insane.”
It’s not a good look for Elon Musk’s car company, nor Sega’s blue blur.
