Tesla China will be taking the automaker’s in-car gaming service to a whole new level with the introduction of online multiplayer games and cartoons. Reports of new games and video services coming to Tesla Arcade and Theater in China coincide with Elon Musk’s news about a Holiday update in the United States. It seems like the next-gen automaker had a surprise planned for Tesla owners all over the world.
According to a tweet by @Ray4Tesla, online games like Fight Landlords, Mahjong, and Happy Upgrade will be released for Tesla owners in Q1, right in time for the new year. Tesla games are not that new for the car company. US-based Tesla owners have an option of games to play with while they’re parked, including the ever-popular Cuphead. These titles are popular among owners, but they are also exclusive single or two-player titles for now.
#Tesla 🇨🇳 officially announced 3 popular online games (“Fight Landlords”, “Mahjon”, “Happy Upgrade”) will be pushed to #Tesla owners in Q1, along w/ 2 streaming APPs, local weather plus air quality alert. Owners can log into their QQ or WeChat account to play remotely w/ others. pic.twitter.com/vrgRln21Wt
— Ray4️⃣Tesla⚡️🚘☀️🔋 (@ray4tesla) December 20, 2019
Unlike US-based Tesla owners, however, owners in China can remotely play with others over the internet by logging into their QQ and WeChat accounts. Tencent, the multinational conglomerate that owns QQ and Wechat, showcased the games that will be offered in Tesla Arcade on Q1 for Chinese owners in an event.
According to an inside source, Tencent—which specializes in internet-related services, products, entertainment, AI, and local/global technology—has close ties to Tesla China. Tencent’s involvement with the automaker in China may be the reason Tesla owners in the country can enjoy online multiplayer games come Q1.
It should be noted that Tencent is prolific in China for its online games, with the company earning 104 billion yuan (around US$14 billion) in revenues from its online games portfolio in 2018. If Tesla China can secure a partnership with Tencent for access to its online games catalog for its in-car arcade, the electric car maker may be able to tap into another potentially lucrative revenue stream.
Tesla holiday software update has FSD sneak preview, Stardew Valley, Lost Backgammon & a few other things
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 20, 2019
US-based Tesla owners have been asking for multiplayer online games for quite some time now. Elon Musk recently announced a holiday surprise update, which will provide a sneak peek at Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite, a couple of games, “and a few other things.”
Tesmanian recently speculated that the other surprises Musk didn’t mention may be the new streaming services coming to Tesla Theater, but it may also be a multiplayer mode for Tesla Arcade. It stands to reason that the company would also offer online gaming features for Tesla owners in the United States, especially since the all-electric car maker just began offering a Premium Connectivity Package.
Tesla China will also be adding two streaming apps to its infotainment system around the same time the online games are expected to be released in Q1. Coincidentally, Tesla US is also expected to add new video streaming apps like Crunchyroll and Twitch sometime soon as well.
Featured Image Credit: Tesla China
About the Author
Claribelle Deveza
Longtime writer and news/book editor. Writing about Tesla allows me to contribute something good to the world, while doing something I love.
