The Tesla Arcade is likely one of the most unique additions to a car in recent memory. The addition of Tesla’s gaming console adds something to do when Supercharging or could be a source of entertainment for when Tesla vehicles are fully autonomous (although that could be some years away). It truly revolutionized the experience of owning a vehicle for entertainment purposes.
However, some games require a controller, and there are plenty of options on the market. However, each controller has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages, and there are some products that are better in a pinch, and others that are better for a more enjoyable gaming experience. Whether you need a last-second Christmas gift or you just picked up your first EV and you want a controller in case slower charging methods are only available during your first road trip, here’s the perfect list of what you can expect from each option:
The Best Bargain: EasySMX Wired Gaming Controller
Amazon
The EasySMX Wired Gaming Controller is only $20 on Amazon and is even included in the e-commerce giant’s Prime program, so it can be at your front door in as little as a few days. It features dual vibration, one motor on each side, and an ergonomic design that will give comfortability while gaming for your thumbs. (Sounds like a reach, but if you’re at a destination charger, you’ll thank me later).
It features a sub-par compatibility profile, however. So if you intend on using it for your Tesla, but you’re at a buddy’s house who only has one controller, you won’t be able to run to your car and grab this. It will work on Windows, PS3, and Android, but not Xbox One or Mac. It also won’t work on newer, updated PlayStation models.
You get what you pay for. This won’t be the best option if you are used to the high-quality gaming pads on the market, but it will definitely get the job done.
The Best Quality: Xbox Elite Series Controller
Microsoft
The Xbox Elite Series Controller is the best of the best. It starts at $179.99, which is a lot of money for a controller. However, this thing will likely last as long as your Tesla will. Despite Xbox having a somewhat poor reputation for its quality of gaming controllers, this might be the best option for those who want longevity. It would probably be best to buy this if you’re a regular gamer, however, because you might not get your money’s worth if you’re not gaming on a somewhat regular basis.
It features an adaptable hand zie feature that improves accuracy and speed of gaming. It has metal and rubber joysticks, which are interchangeable based on your playing style. Yes, this is an excessive buy for a Tesla only, but it’s also the best quality controller you can buy. You will need either a Bluetooth Controller Adapter or a USB-C cord for connectivity. You might be able to find one of these at a GameStop or BestBuy, but chances are you will be ordering directly from Microsoft.
This is for the real gamers out there.
The Most Available: Xbox One Wireless/Wired Controller
Microsoft
If you need something today, the Xbox One Wireless or Wired options are the best bet. You can find these controllers literally anywhere: Wal-Mart, Best Buy, you might even find one in an Ollie’s Bargain Store if you’re lucky enough. You can also find affordable used versions at gaming retailers. It is similar to the Elite Controller, but with fewer options and lower quality. It is a perfectly reasonable option for short-term gaming in your Tesla.
However, if you are a more regular gamer, expect to buy around two of these a year. A common issue (that I’ve felt personally for many years) is stick drift or catchy joysticks. Stick Drift is when your controller is not being utilized but is turned on and connected to a game, and your player moves without you touching the joystick. After hours of use and pushing a joystick in one direction, let’s say forwards for a driving game, for example, these $60 controllers will begin to catch this problem. It can be fixed temporarily, but it is better to just move on to a new one, at least in my opinion.
If you forgot your gaming nephew who owns a Model 3 a cool controller for Christmas, you can run over to any large retailer and find one of these. We won’t tell them that you forgot to buy them a gift.
The Best Value: PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox
Amazon
If you want the Xbox One Wireless/Wired Controller, but can accept slightly lower quality and an awesome price tag, this is the choice for you. It feels, looks, and reacts just like a regular Xbox Controller, and it comes in many different colors. It simply plugs right into the USB port, and you can start gaming, it’s that easy!
For only $37.99, it’s available on Amazon and it is Prime-eligible; this is the best bang for your buck. It might be too late to snag this to have it under the tree in time for Christmas, but it would be a great alternative to those who just are not convinced that the regular Xbox controller is any better (It’s a good compromise).
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Elon Musk
Tesla ditches India after years of broken promises
Tesla has ditched its plans to build a factory in India after years of failed negotiations.
Tesla’s long-running effort to establish a manufacturing presence in India is officially over. India’s Minister of Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy confirmed on May 19, 2026 that Tesla has informed authorities it will not proceed with a manufacturing facility in the country.
Tesla first signaled serious interest in India around 2021, when it began hiring local staff and lobbying the Indian government for lower import tariffs. The ask was straightforward: reduce duties enough for Tesla to test the market with imported vehicles before committing capital to a local factory. India’s position was equally firm, with an ask of Tesla to commit to manufacturing first, then receive tariff relief. Neither side moved, and the talks quietly collapsed.
Tesla to open first India experience center in Mumbai on July 15
India had offered a policy that would reduce import duties from 110% down to 15% on EVs priced above $35,000, provided companies committed at least $500 million toward local manufacturing investment within three years. Tesla declined to participate. The tariff standoff was only part of the problem. Analysts pointed to significant gaps in India’s local supply chain, inadequate industrial infrastructure, and a mismatch between Tesla’s premium pricing and the purchasing power of India’s automotive market as additional factors that made the investment difficult to justify.
First signs of an unraveling relationship came in April 2024, when Musk abruptly cancelled a planned trip to India where he was set to meet Prime Minister Modi and announce Tesla’s market entry. By July 2024, Fortune reported that Tesla executives had stopped contacting Indian government officials entirely. The government at that point understood Tesla had capital constraints and no plans to invest.
The more fundamental issue is that Tesla’s existing factories are currently operating at approximately 60% capacity, making a commitment to building new manufacturing capacity in a new market difficult to defend to investors. Tesla will continue selling imported Model Y vehicles through its existing showrooms in Mumbai, Delhi, Gurugram, and Bengaluru, but local production is no longer part of the plan.
Elon Musk
Trump’s invite for Elon just reshuffled Tesla’s big Signature Delivery Event
Tesla rescheduled its final Model S farewell to May 20 after Musk joined Trump in China.
Tesla has rescheduled its Model S and Model X Signature Edition delivery event to Wednesday, May 20, 2026, after abruptly calling off the original May 12 celebration. The event will take place at Tesla’s factory at 45500 Fremont Boulevard in Fremont, California, the same location where the Model S first rolled off the line in 2012. Invitees received a follow-up email asking them to reconfirm attendance and download a new QR code ticket, with Tesla noting that all travel and accommodation expenses remain the buyer’s responsibility.
The reason behind the original cancellation came into focus the same day it was announced. President Trump invited Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, and executives from Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, Citigroup, and Meta to join his trip to China this week for a summit with President Xi Jinping. The agenda covers trade, artificial intelligence, export controls, Taiwan, and the Iran war, following weeks of escalating friction between Washington and Beijing over AI technology, sanctions, and rare earth exports. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I am very much looking forward to my trip to China, an amazing Country, with a Leader, President Xi, respected by all.”
Tesla launches 200mph Model S “Gold” Signature in invite-only purchase
The vehicles at the center of all this are the last Model S and Model X units Tesla will ever build. Priced at $159,420 each, the 250 Model S and 100 Model X Signature Edition units come finished in Garnet Red with a one-year no-resale agreement, giving Tesla right of first refusal if the owner decides to sell. As Teslarati reported, the Model S defined Tesla’s early identity as a serious luxury automaker, and the Fremont factory line that built it is now being converted to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots.
Musk’s inclusion in the China delegation drew attention given his very public relationship with Trump, and the invitation signals the two have moved past and past grievances. Trump originally brought Musk on to lead the Department of Government Efficiency following his inauguration, and despite a sharp public dispute in mid-2025, the two have appeared together repeatedly in recent months. A seat on the China trip, the most diplomatically consequential visit of Trump’s current term, puts Musk back at the table on U.S. economic policy at a moment when Tesla’s China revenue remains one of the company’s most important financial pillars.
Lifestyle
Tesla Semi hauls fresh Cybercab batch as Robotaxi era takes hold
A Tesla Semi was filmed hauling Cybercab units out of Giga Texas for the first time.
A Tesla Semi loaded with Cybercab units was recently filmed leaving Gigafactory Texas, marking what appears to be the first documented delivery run of Tesla’s autonomous two-seater. The footage shows multiple Cybercabs secured on a flatbed trailer being hauled by a production Tesla Semi, a truck rated for a gross combination weight of 82,000 lbs. The location is consistent with Giga Texas in Austin, where Cybercab production has been ramping since February 2026.
The sighting follows a wave of Cybercab activity at the Austin facility. In late April, drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer spotted approximately 60 Cybercabs parked in two organized groups in the factory’s outbound lot, the largest concentration observed to date. Units being staged in an outbound lot is a standard pre-delivery step, and the Semi footage is the logical next frame in that sequence.
En route with @tesla_semi pic.twitter.com/ZfuOjaeLH1
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) May 7, 2026
This is not the first time Tesla has used its own Semi to move Tesla products. When the Semi was unveiled in 2017, Musk noted it would be used for Tesla’s own operations, and over the years Semi prototypes were spotted carrying cargo ranging from concrete weights to Tesla vehicles being delivered to consumers. In 2023, a Semi was photographed transporting a Cybertruck on a trailer ahead of that vehicle’s delivery launch.
The Cybercab itself was first revealed publicly at Tesla’s “We, Robot” event on October 10, 2024, at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, where 20 pre-production units gave attendees rides around the studio lot. Musk stated at the event that Tesla intends to produce the Cybercab before 2027. The first production unit rolled off the Giga Texas line on February 17, 2026, with Musk posting on X: “Congratulations to the Tesla team on making the first production Cybercab.”
Tesla’s annual production goal is 2 million Cybercabs per year once multiple factories reach full design capacity, with the company targeting a price under $30,000 per unit. Tesla has confirmed plans to expand its robotaxi service to seven cities in the first half of 2026, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas, building on the unsupervised service already running in Austin. Musk has said he expects robotaxis to cover between a quarter and half of the United States by end of year.
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