Elon Musk says Tesla cars could support third-party apps, games

If Elon Musk says it’s a possibility, it’s a possibility. 

During a conversation on the everything Tesla-related Ride the Lightning podcast that aired over the weekend, the Tesla CEO touched on the potential for the electric cars’ infotainment system to support third-party games and apps. 

Tesla cars currently offer Tesla-only services for streaming music, books, podcasts, navigation tools and maps, and even gaming on its dashboard screens. A digital Easter egg drawer is full of in-car video games and other features, like the giggle-inducing fart mode.

Games available in Model S, X, and 3 cars include 2048, Super Breakout, Missile Command, Asteroids, Lunar Lander, and Centipede. Cuphead is coming by the end of the year.

“As our number of vehicles grow, it starts to potentially makes more sense to develop games and other applications for Tesla,” said Musk during the podcast. “We just need a lot of cars.” For developers to build separate Tesla apps, he clarified, there needs to be “enough of an install base to warrant the effort.”

Musk has previously alluded to Tesla as more of a tech company than a car company, with its over-the-air updates and digital improvements to battery performance. 

As electric car news outlet Electrek noted, since 2012 Musk has explored building a third-party app platform – especially with its sleek display monitors. With the Model 3, Tesla went from two screens to just one in the center console where everything – even climate control and the speedometer – is housed. 

Until then, fart mode will have to suffice.