Which Teslas Support Custom Light Shows
All five current Teslas do. The more useful question is what each one can actually do, because they do not have the same moving parts, and that is what separates a good show on a Model X from a good show on a Model 3.
The lights are the same. The closures are not.
Every supported Tesla exposes the same light map: 46 addressable zones across 200 channels, covering the main beams, the signature bars, the turn signals, the fog lights, the side markers and the tail cluster. A show that only uses lights genuinely does look the same on any of them.
The closures are where the models part company. These are the physical moving parts a show can command, and they are the difference between a light show and something that looks choreographed:
Model 3 · 7 closures
The baseline. No powered liftgate, so the show leans on the mirrors, the four windows and the charge port for movement.
Moves: Left Mirror, Right Mirror, Left Front Window, Left Rear Window, Right Front Window, Right Rear Window, Charge Port.
Light shows for the Model 3 · wrap templates for the Model 3
Model Y · 8 closures
The Model 3 set plus a powered liftgate, which gives a show one big, slow gesture to build a finish around.
Moves: Left Mirror, Right Mirror, Left Front Window, Left Rear Window, Right Front Window, Liftgate, Right Rear Window, Charge Port.
Light shows for the Model Y · wrap templates for the Model Y
Model S · 12 closures
The widest set of small movers: four retracting door handles on top of the mirrors, windows and liftgate. Handles are quick, so they can punctuate rather than just punctuate the ending.
Moves: Left Mirror, Right Mirror, Left Front Window, Left Rear Window, Right Front Window, Right Rear Door Handle, Liftgate, Left Front Door Handle, Left Rear Door Handle, Right Front Door Handle, Right Rear Window, Charge Port.
Light shows for the Model S · wrap templates for the Model S
Model X · 12 closures
The most theatrical car in the range. Falcon doors and powered front doors both move, and both are slow, so they are the finale rather than the rhythm.
Moves: Left Falcon Door, Right Falcon Door, Left Front Door, Right Front Door, Left Mirror, Right Mirror, Left Front Window, Left Rear Window, Right Front Window, Liftgate, Right Rear Window, Charge Port.
Light shows for the Model X · wrap templates for the Model X
Cybertruck · 8 closures
The only Tesla whose light bar genuinely dims instead of switching, so it can hold a fade. Same closure set as the Model Y.
Moves: Left Mirror, Right Mirror, Left Front Window, Left Rear Window, Right Front Window, Liftgate, Right Rear Window, Charge Port.
Light shows for the Cybertruck · wrap templates for the Cybertruck
Why a show is re-tailored rather than copied
Because of that table. A show built for a Model X can command falcon doors, and a Model 3 has none, so handing the same file to a Model 3 would address channels that do not exist on it. Add a show to your library and it is rebuilt for whichever model you pick, using the closures that car actually has. There is no extra charge for a second model.
It also means a show is not simply "more impressive" on the car with the most closures. The slow movers, falcon doors and front doors, take many seconds to open and close, so they belong at a finish. The quick ones, mirrors and handles, can keep time. Matching the gesture to the car is most of the craft.
Software, and what the car says when it is unhappy
- 2021.44.25 or later: custom light shows at all.
- 2023.44.25 or later: more than one show on a drive, with a picker.
- Not supported: the original Roadster, and pre-refresh Model S and Model X body styles.
If the car offers Light Show rather than Custom Light Show when you plug the drive in, that is almost never the software version. It is Tesla saying it did not accept the drive, which is a format, folder or filename problem. The USB drive guide covers all four rules.
Common questions
Which Teslas can run a custom light show?
Model 3, Model Y, Model S, Model X and Cybertruck. Custom shows need vehicle software 2021.44.25 or later, and multiple shows on one USB drive need 2023.44.25 or later. The Roadster and the original Model S and X body styles are not supported.
Do all Teslas have the same lights?
The light map is the same across all five: 46 addressable zones over 200 channels. What differs is the closures, the moving parts. A Model X has falcon doors and powered front doors, a Model S has four retracting door handles, and a Model 3 has no powered liftgate. That is why the same show is re-tailored per model rather than copied.
Does a light show work on a Cybertruck?
Yes, and it behaves differently from every other Tesla. The Cybertruck light bar genuinely dims rather than switching on and off, so it can hold a fade where the other models can only step. A show written for a sedan does not use that and looks flat on it.
Will a show made for one model work on another?
You should re-export rather than copy the file across. The channel layout is shared but the closures are not, so a show built for a Model X can address falcon doors that a Model 3 does not have. Add a show to your library and it re-tailors to whichever model you pick, at no extra cost.
What software version do I need?
Vehicle software 2021.44.25 or later for custom shows, and 2023.44.25 or later to keep more than one show on a drive and choose between them. If the car offers "Light Show" rather than "Custom Light Show" when you plug the drive in, that is usually the drive rather than the software.