Without a steering wheel, pedals, or manual controls to monitor, riding in an autonomous vehicle completely frees up your travel time. Tesla is leaning hard into infotainment for its purpose-built Cybercab, and according to Elon Musk, passengers may soon be able to plug gaming hardware straight into the dashboard.
The tease began on X when the official Tesla account highlighted the cabin’s extensive media setup, touting the massive 22-inch touchscreen, support for media streaming and gaming apps, and upcoming Starlink connectivity.
Replying directly to the post, @elonmusk dropped a surprising detail:
“You will be able to plug in your PlayStation or Xbox.”
The teaser comes right as the Cybercab officially began offering commercial rides in Austin earlier this week. Following the public launch, early customers and attendees at Thursday’s launch event who were lucky enough to get demo rides praised the Cybercab’s spacious interior, where the massive 22-inch display acts as the centerpiece.
Full Consoles and Handheld PCs, or Just Controllers?
Musk’s phrasing leaves room for debate on exactly what he’s talking about. Early riders like @BLKMDL3 have already demonstrated that you can plug wired or wireless controllers into the cabin’s USB-C ports to play built-in Tesla Arcade titles. Because controller support already exists today, saying you “will be able to” suggests an upcoming hardware or video-in capability.
Was Musk simply talking about plugging in a PlayStation or Xbox controller, or is a genuine HDMI video input on the way?
Very few riders are going to lug a full home console into a robotaxi — though booting up GTA VI from the seat of a Cybercab this December would certainly be quite the flex.
However, support for external video inputs makes immediate sense for portable tech. Devices like the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and Nintendo Switch (not to mention everyday work laptops) are widely carried by commuters and only growing in popularity. If Tesla adds a dedicated HDMI port or enables DisplayPort video input over USB-C, passengers could turn the 22-inch display into an external monitor for gaming, streaming personal media, or finishing office work.
While this functionality will likely see limited use at first, it could be a worthy forward-looking addition, especially as on-the-go productivity becomes more commonplace.
Low-Latency Gaming via Satellite
Connecting external hardware also pairs neatly with Tesla’s upcoming connectivity upgrades. With Tesla integrating next-gen Starlink V5 dishes directly into Cybercabs, units will soon tap directly into low-latency satellite internet.
Not a Tesla App
If Tesla plans to let passengers connect their own devices to the vehicle’s onboard Starlink connection, it opens up seamless multiplayer gaming and high-speed cloud sync without suffering from the unreliability or dead zones of a cellular connection.
Whether Tesla delivers a full HDMI video feed or simply streamlines controller pairing, turning the Cybercab cabin into a mobile entertainment station proves that hands-free travel is changing how we spend time on the road.