Is Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Crossplay?
Yes, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is fully crossplay, and Sega is making sure fans know it. The Open Network Test lets racers on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Epic Games Store jump in together, no matter what system they’re on.
This means you can party up with friends from rival platforms, show off your custom decals, and maybe—just maybe—get schooled by someone with more hours logged than is probably healthy.
The crossplay feature is front-and-center, so there’s no fiddling with technical settings; you simply form squads (up to four players), hit matchmaking, and hop into action.
My own favorite part? Seeing names you recognize from console gaming showing up in your Steam lobby. It’s a bit like pulling off a loop-de-loop with Sonic himself—unexpected and just plain fun.
Available Modes and Features
Open Network Test players can sample both offline and online offerings, which means there’s plenty to do even if the servers hiccup (and let’s be honest, with a public beta, expect at least a few wild spins).
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Offline: Grand Prix and Time Trial—perfect for practicing turns, learning courses, and experimenting with the tune-ups
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Online: World Match and Joker Festival—this is where the social chaos really blooms
Here’s what’s cool: once you wrap up your first Grand Prix, the online doors swing open. You’ll unlock World Match (classic competitive mode) and Joker Festival, which introduces team-based challenges and lets you earn Festival Points, temporary decals, and horns.
None of the custom gear transfers to release, but hey, bonus bragging rights never hurt.
Want a little more? The ONT comes with some irresistible perks. Testers who participate are promised two exclusive decals and the “Open Network Test Racer” title, delivered straight to their account at launch—so yes, you get a permanent badge for helping shape the game’s future.
Online Test Schedule
Sega’s experiment runs on a pretty tight timetable, so plan accordingly:
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World Match: August 29 to August 31, and again September 1 to September 2 (UTC+8)
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Joker Festival: August 31 to September 1 (UTC+8)
Translation? Jump in early to grab those bonuses and catch all the fun. World Match is your bread-and-butter multiplayer, while Joker Festival drops you into team-based events with rotating objectives—think Mario Kart’s balloon pop mode with a dash of Sonic speed.
If you’re a language buff or international racer, this test is friendly—full subtitles in 13 languages and audio options in six, so even overseas squads can coordinate.
If your kid swaps the Switch to Italian, you can still race together and argue about who’s the better hedgehog in multiple tongues.
Final Lap: Why It Matters
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds isn’t just another mascot racer. Crossplay is real, the event system is aiming big, and early access testers get a taste of everything—from solo sprints to squad chaos.
Yes, crashes and disconnects can pop up (welcome to beta life!) but that’s part of the fun, and every session helps Sonic’s latest adventure to a smoother final release.
If you ever wanted to pit your PlayStation crew against a friend’s PC mods—or just race alongside someone on a Switch from the couch—this is your chance. The blue blur has come a long way, and CrossWorlds is ready to prove it’s a game for everyone, everywhere.
