Matthew KuKanich controls Tesla via a CAN bus connection from the Nintendo Switch 2
Matthew KuKanich, a researcher in automotive system security, posted on Reddit a video showing him using the left knob of his Tesla’s console to control the Nintendo Switch 2. His CAN Commander app gives “full access to the vehicle’s functions,” he claims. This includes the steering system, throttle and brakes, as well as turn signals, horn, gear shifting, and wipers. The issue was covered by the website Not a Tesla App.
How CAN Commander Works
KuKanich did not hack into Tesla’s software. He performed a jailbreak on the Switch 2 (that is, removed the manufacturer’s restrictions to run custom programs) and created an app that sends commands to the car via the CAN bus. This is an internal network through which a car’s drivers and components communicate with each other. KuKanich wrote on X: “I built my own software for the Switch 2 and an external CAN control system for my Tesla.”
Every function of the car has its own button. The left knob controls steering, the right acts like the gas pedal, the left acts like the brake, and A switches between forward and reverse driving. L and R turn on the turn signals, X activates a single windshield wiper movement, and Y controls the horn. On the console screen, the app displays real-time data from the car: speed, steering angle, current gear, and connection status. The creator assures that the program has several security features, and to shut it down, one must hold down B.
In the video, the Tesla stays in place, the steering wheel turns exactly as KuKanich moves the knob, and the turn signals flash at command.
Driving my Car with a Switch 2
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u/Martarts in
switch2hacks
Previously covered Xbox and Wii Remote controllers
Switch 2 isn’t the first controller in this collection. KuKanich has already controlled his Tesla using an Xbox controller and a Wii Remote. The latter supports motion control, so the steering wheel rotated as he tilted the controller in his hand. Some of his videos show these experiments while driving on roads.
Meanwhile, Tesla is doing everything possible to eliminate the need for a driver to hold a steering wheel at all. The Robotaxi service is already available 24/7 in all cities where it’s offered, and the Cybercab doesn’t even have a steering wheel. In November, Tesla began selling it to select customers: the two-seater robotaxi costs $29,990 before taxes, plus a mandatory monthly subscription fee of $299.
The game pad works as a steering wheel, at least until the knob starts drifting. There is no CAN Commander code available online yet. KuKanich says he might upload it to his GitHub account, but he hasn’t given a deadline. Even if he does, the project remains a research curiosity rather than a way to drive on public roads.
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