Star Wars Episode I: Racer
The podracing game that comfortably outlived the film it came from. Genuinely fast, with a parts-and-repair system that turns every race into a bet on your own engine holding together. Aspyr put it back on Switch and PS4 in 2020, and it is on Steam and GOG for ten dollars. Still the best podracer anyone has made.
- Released
- 1999
- Developer
- LucasArts
- Genre
- Racing
- Platforms
- PCNintendo 64Dreamcast
Playing it today
Still the best podracing game there is, and the easiest of the old Star Wars games to get hold of. It sold 3.12 million copies and holds up because it is so fast, and because the parts-and-repair system makes every race a gamble on your engines lasting.
On PC it is $9.99 on GOG and Steam, and both come pre-patched with a graphics wrapper so it runs on current Windows. One real catch: the physics were built for low frame rates, and above 30 frames per second you can get glitches. A fan-made launcher by MrGameFixer caps the frame rate for you and adds proper widescreen. Valve rates it Playable on Steam Deck.
On console, Aspyr's 2020 ports are $14.99 on PS4, Switch and Xbox One, with modernized controls and no fiddling. Anyone who wants podracing that is not from 1999 has Galactic Racer arriving October 6.
Where to play it
On sale today · checked September 24, 2026
- GOG$9.99
- Steam$9.99
- PlayStation Store (PS4)Aspyr's 2020 port$14.99
- Nintendo eShop (Switch)Aspyr's 2020 port$14.99
- Xbox Store (Xbox One)Aspyr's 2020 port$14.99
On PC, GOG or Steam at $9.99; both copies come pre-patched to run on current Windows. On console, the $14.99 Aspyr port for whichever system you own.
Aspyr ported it to PS4, Switch and Xbox One in 2020, at $14.99 on each store. The N64 and Dreamcast originals were never re-released.
List prices in USD. Stores change prices and listings; check before you buy. Where to buy old Star Wars games
Coverage (4)
Episode I: Racer is the best thing to come out of the worst Star Wars movie
LucasArts shipped Episode I: Racer a day before The Phantom Menace, built it in under two years on a reused engine, and sold 3.12 million copies. How it was made, how the ports and the 2020 remaster held up, and why the Galactic Racer team still plays it.
Every Star Wars racing game, ranked: Episode I Racer still leads the pack
Five Star Wars racing games ranked on review scores, then on whether you can still play them. Episode I Racer wins and costs $9.99 on Steam; Racer Revenge is second and lives on PlayStation. Plus the odd ones out, and Galactic Racer, out Tuesday.
Episode I Racer: the best podracer, and the upgrade order that wins
Ben Quadinaros is the fastest pod in Episode I Racer once his parts are maxed, Bullseye Navior is the best all-rounder, and Sebulba is a trap. Here is who to race, in what order, and which parts to buy first.
How to play Episode I Racer on a modern PC: which store, which launcher, and why the frame rate matters
Episode I Racer runs on Windows 11 from GOG or Steam, but it can freeze while loading, stretches on a wide screen and breaks its own physics at high frame rates. The store to buy from, the community launcher that fixes most of it, and the fixes for everything else.
Games like Star Wars Episode I: Racer
- Star Wars Racer Arcade2000 · Sega · Racing
- Star Wars Racer Revenge2002 · Rainbow Studios · Racing
- Star Wars: Galactic Racer2026 · Fuse Games · Racing
- Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing2001 · LucasArts · Racing
- Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire1996 · LucasArts · Action-adventure
- Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II1997 · LucasArts · Shooter
Sources: GOG store page; Steam store page; PlayStation Store listing; Nintendo eShop listing; Xbox Store listing; Xbox Wire: Episode I Racer on Xbox One; PCGamingWiki; MrGameFixer's launcher; Wikipedia: Star Wars Episode I: Racer.