Tesla will shut off center console gaming while car is in motion [Updated]

Enlarge / Sky Force Reloaded running on a Tesla's central screen while the car is driving down the road. (credit: YouTube / Cf Tesla)

Update (December 24): Tesla will issue a software update that will prevent games from being played on the infotainment display. The carmaker moved quickly to issue a software update that will roll out to the affected vehicles by Christmas.

Following the opening of a preliminary evaluation of Tesla's Passenger Play,' Tesla informed the agency that it is changing the functionality of this feature," a National Highway and Transportation Administration spokesperson said in a statement. In a new software update, Passenger Play' will now be locked and unusable when the vehicle is in motion."

Original story (December 22): Earlier this month, we covered a software update issued by Tesla that allowed games to be played on the infotainment display while the car was in motion. We pointed out at the time that this new capability would likely draw the attention of state and federal regulators. To no one's surprise, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Wednesday announced a formal safety investigation over the update.

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