Tesla rolls out new racing game, releases invites for Tesla Arcade events

Tesla has released a pretty cool and funny commercial for one of its newest in-car features: Tesla Arcade, specifically, Beach Buggy Racing 2, which takes the place of Pole Position, a racing game that was retired a few months back. So what exactly is Tesla Arcade? Based on the video shared by the company, Tesla Arcade is the company’s TeslAtari Easter Egg turned up to 11.

The short clip of Tesla’s new racing game will not look out of place beside some of the most compelling advertisements been released by other carmakers. Later tweets from the official Tesla Twitter account have also indicated that Beach Buggy Racing 2 is starting to roll out to the company’s electric cars today.

Apart from the release of Beach Buggy Racing 2, Tesla is also inviting interested individuals to try out Tesla Arcade firsthand. “Experience the Tesla Arcade” events will be held in Tesla showrooms from June 18 to 30, 2019, and those who wish to check out the electric car maker’s new in-car gaming capabilities are advised to fill up an RSVP form, which could be accessed here.

“Access the full library of games directly from the vehicle’s touchscreen to play gaming classics like Atari Missile Command and Asteroids – or experience our newest addition, Beach Buggy Racing 2, a kart racing game where you can careen, blast and launch your way through 22 tracks. Players can recruit new drivers (see if you can find our favorite) and use the steering wheel controls for the most immersive gaming experience,” Tesla noted.

Based on the video that Tesla shared on Twitter, as well as the invitations for its in-store Tesla Arcade events, it appears that the company is focusing its efforts on promoting its new racing title. This could be a strategic move for Tesla, as Beach Buggy Racing 2 is arguably the most immersive game that the company currently offers. Other games, such as the upcoming Cuphead and Fallout Shelter, are great titles, but they would likely not involve as much of the vehicles’ actual components (such as the steering wheel and the brake pedal) for their controls.

Tesla’s teaser for Beach Buggy Racing 2 bodes well for the company’s efforts to include more games for its vehicles. The first games that Tesla offered featured classic Atari games such as Lunar Lander, which feature rather simple graphics and gameplay. These new batch of upcoming games, from Beach Buggy Racing 2 to Cuphead to Fallout Shelter, are far more complex, with 3D graphics and likely more immersive sound. With these features, Tesla is all but turning the Model S, 3, and X into some of the world’s coolest gaming consoles, bar none.

Here’s our first look at Tesla’s newest racing game.