--- title: "Never-Before-Released Rave Racer Is Finally Coming to Switch, PS5, and Xbox" date: "2026-02-05" modified: "2026-02-05" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/never-before-released-rave-racer-is-finally-coming-to-switch-ps5-and-xbox" categories: - "Culture" - "News" - "Video Games" --- # Never-Before-Released Rave Racer Is Finally Coming to Switch, PS5, and Xbox ![Image of all cars from Rave Racer arranged in a circle]() *\Bandai Namco\* Fans of old, forgotten [racing games]() have been doing pretty well as of late. Over the last two years, we've seen the first-ever console releases of *Daytona USA 2* and *Ridge Racer's* original arcade version. Very soon, Nintendo will even [deliver a secret *F-Zero* spinoff thought entirely lost to time](), so one by one, we're checking off what seemed impossible. Today, we've got another white whale to welcome, straight from the arcades. Hamster is bringing 1995's *Rave Racer* home via its fantastic Arcade Archives collection, and it's a big deal. See, while Namco was cleaning up on the original PlayStation with *[Ridge Racer]()*, *Ridge Racer Revolution*, and the especially underrated *Rage Racer*, it released a totally different game in the arcades, called *Rave Racer*. (Yeah, I know the names get a little ridiculous here, so please bear with me.) *Rave Racer* never got a home conversion, although one was once announced—not for PlayStation, but surprisingly, PCs that used NEC and VideoLogic's PowerVR graphics card that competed with 3dfx's Voodoo and Nvidia's Riva 128 in the mid-to-late '90s. The second-gen PowerVR chip would go on to power the Sega Dreamcast, and see use by Sega in the arcades as well. Namco had been working to convert *Rave Racer*, *Tekken*, and *Air Combat 22* for PowerVR's initial launch, as [*Edge Magazine* extensively reported]() at the time, but they never came to pass. https://youtu.be/5DOKyJJV8rQ?si=j78_8JEXCwpdy9g8&t=6 So *Rave Racer* remained stuck in arcades, where it dazzled players with better graphics, smoother driving physics, and exclusive tracks that you couldn't get on PlayStation. Where *Rage Racer* went for an industrial vibe, and *R4* chased the avant-garde, *Rave Racer* continued down the path established by the earliest installments in the franchise, with a glorious but simultaneously bizarre and frankly jarring dance soundtrack. *Rave* was in the title, after all. Although *Rave Racer* never got that home port, Namco did acknowledge it in subsequent *Ridge Racer* releases after the series' arcade run ended. The PSP titles included Rave's exclusive tracks and even delivered some new ones set in the same environments. And choice cuts from the game's phenomenal soundtrack wound up in later installments as well, so newcomers could experience the sheer bewilderment upon hearing it for the first time. https://youtu.be/9SFgKvqMAYw?si=PlVZBz45BoWYbW9W Finally, on February 26, the game will land on Switch 2. We can probably add the original Switch, Xbox Series, PS5, and PS4 to that list as well, though publisher Hamster hasn't offered more details yet. You can bet I'll be there on day one; I've been waiting for this for 20 years. *Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()