Tesla drivers will soon have another gaming option at their disposal, as the electric car company and SEGA are partnering together to bring the original Sonic the Hedgehog title to the vehicle’s in-car gaming system.
Tesla’s acquisition of SEGA’s iconic title Sonic the Hedgehog likely comes as a result of the company’s stepped-up efforts to provide video games to Tesla drivers. A few months ago, the Elon Musk-owned company posted a job listing for a “Video Games Engineer.” While upcoming vehicle models are touted to run things like Cyberpunk 2077 at 60FPS, it would seem Tesla is starting smaller and more accessible with the Blue Blur’s first outing.
Announced via a press release, all Tesla models new and old will soon have Sonic the Hedgehog 1 added to their gaming libraries. Accessible around the world via the built-in display screen, all players need to do is plug in a handheld controller through one of the car’s USB ports. The version of Sonic the Hedgehog coming to Tesla’s line of vehicles is the same one released for the Sega Genesis in 1991, which was originally released as an “edgier” direct competitor to Nintendo’s Super Mario franchise.
Sonic the Hedgehog joins an expanding roster of titles playable in Teslas, including the aforementioned Cyberpunk 2077, Cuphead, Stardew Valley, and more. As Tesla has been steadily growing its in-car gaming capabilities, so too has the U.S. Government’s concern regarding the situation. A few days ago, a spokesperson from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in reference to Tesla, “the Vehicle Safety Act prohibits manufacturers from selling vehicles with design defects posing unreasonable risks to safety.”
This week has been a particularly significant one for Sonic. In addition to the Tesla announcement, the next long-awaited mainline entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise was officially revealed at The Game Awards 2021. Titled Sonic Frontiers, the game will be open-world – a first for the franchise – and is rumored to have similarities to the fan-favorite Sonic Adventure titles. The new adventure sees Dr. Eggman discover an ancient technology on Starfall Islands, but something goes awry, and Sonic is again tasked with saving the world.
The Sonic the Hedgehog news doesn’t end there either. A brand new trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was also revealed at The Game Awards 2021, which revealed several major plot details about the highly-anticipated fillm, including a first look at Knuckles. Hopefully for fans, 2022 gets here as fast as Sonic himself.
Sonic the Hedgehog is available on most major platforms.
