Photo: Tesla
Expectations were high about this year's Holiday Update, but the release notes leaked on Thursday left owners unimpressed. Elon Musk admitted that Tesla needs to step up its game, and a miracle happened: Tesla announced new features coming with the Holiday Update next week.
The Holiday Update is easily the most important update of the year, although no year is the same. In 2020, owners only received minor updates, but Tesla made up for it with a massive 2021 Holiday Update. Last December, the Holiday Update brought the Steam gaming platform to Teslas, among other things, which also pleased owners. Still, the 2023 Holiday Update was considered a little light on features when the release notes leaked on Thursday.
Even die-hard Tesla fans reacted with a "meh" to the changes coming with Tesla Software 2023.44.25. Omar Qazi from @WholeMarsBlog expressed his frustration on X, and Elon Musk replied a couple of hours later with, "We need to step up our game." To think that Tesla engineers could take this line as a hint that more needs to be added to the Holiday update would be ridiculous. And yet, mere hours later, Tesla announced some killer features that will be included with the Holiday Update next week.
Tesla confirmed all the features we talked about when writing about the 2023 Holiday Update but raised the stakes with a few that are meaningful enough to appease Tesla critics. Chief among them are the possibility to play games on the rear entertainment screen and a major revamp to Tesla Vision, which is now able to create a 3D model of your surroundings while parking. Another addition that was not mentioned in the leaked release notes is the possibility to set custom lock sounds.
Tesla owners with kids will probably be happy to know that their children will be able to play games in the back while driving. And because Tesla finally offers a dedicated audio channel via Bluetooth in the rear, the front passengers can still listen to their favorite tune while the rear passengers are having fun. This was a critical feature missing from Tesla EVs, despite the fact that the refreshed Model S and Model X advertised "playing from any seat" two years ago when they arrived.
Tesla goes even further and names the new feature as "LAN Party on Wheels," implying that you could play collaborative games using the two screens in the car. We still don't know if this is indeed possible because the updated release notes don't clarify. However, the simple fact that movies and (now) games played in the rear will not be heard throughout the cabin by all passengers is a massive improvement.
The High Fidelity Park Assist looks like it's part of something bigger, so expect to be wowed by more Tesla Vision updates in 2024. Tesla insiders think the EV maker might be readying a significant upgrade to FSD visualization next year. For now, owners with access to Autopark (who paid for Enhanced Autopilot or FSD Capability) should see the new 3D model appearing on their screens. This should later be offered on all Teslas with basic Autopilot.
Even die-hard Tesla fans reacted with a "meh" to the changes coming with Tesla Software 2023.44.25. Omar Qazi from @WholeMarsBlog expressed his frustration on X, and Elon Musk replied a couple of hours later with, "We need to step up our game." To think that Tesla engineers could take this line as a hint that more needs to be added to the Holiday update would be ridiculous. And yet, mere hours later, Tesla announced some killer features that will be included with the Holiday Update next week.
Tesla confirmed all the features we talked about when writing about the 2023 Holiday Update but raised the stakes with a few that are meaningful enough to appease Tesla critics. Chief among them are the possibility to play games on the rear entertainment screen and a major revamp to Tesla Vision, which is now able to create a 3D model of your surroundings while parking. Another addition that was not mentioned in the leaked release notes is the possibility to set custom lock sounds.
Tesla owners with kids will probably be happy to know that their children will be able to play games in the back while driving. And because Tesla finally offers a dedicated audio channel via Bluetooth in the rear, the front passengers can still listen to their favorite tune while the rear passengers are having fun. This was a critical feature missing from Tesla EVs, despite the fact that the refreshed Model S and Model X advertised "playing from any seat" two years ago when they arrived.
Tesla goes even further and names the new feature as "LAN Party on Wheels," implying that you could play collaborative games using the two screens in the car. We still don't know if this is indeed possible because the updated release notes don't clarify. However, the simple fact that movies and (now) games played in the rear will not be heard throughout the cabin by all passengers is a massive improvement.
The High Fidelity Park Assist looks like it's part of something bigger, so expect to be wowed by more Tesla Vision updates in 2024. Tesla insiders think the EV maker might be readying a significant upgrade to FSD visualization next year. For now, owners with access to Autopark (who paid for Enhanced Autopilot or FSD Capability) should see the new 3D model appearing on their screens. This should later be offered on all Teslas with basic Autopilot.
The 2023 Holiday Update rolls out next week
— Tesla (@Tesla) December 8, 2023
Here’s what’s coming...
Custom Lock Sounds
Replace the horn lock sound of your vehicle with another sound—like a screaming goat ????
LAN Party on Wheels
Play your favorite games on the rear touchscreen ????
Rear Screen Bluetooth… pic.twitter.com/Xl2Q6YgS2b
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