Star Wars Episode I: Racer PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch Release Date Announced

Star Wars Episode 1: Racer, the fan-favorite podracing video game from 1999, is officially releasing for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on May 12th. The announcement last month that the older title would be re-released on Nintendo Switch was met with much rejoicing, so the fact that it’s coming sooner rather than later — and to PlayStation 4 as well — should be exciting for many.

For the most part, it sounds like this is exactly the game it was when it released, but with modernized controls, higher-resolution models, and, on PlayStation 4, trophies. “Output resolutions have massively changed in the past 20 years, as have file size restrictions,” the PlayStation blog post about the release date states. “This allowed us to natively re-export everything into greatly increased resolutions that will look better than ever on your 4K TV. Despite the age of the original models, these cutscenes look stunning and will take you back to seeing the track on Tatooine for the first time in 1999.”

The game, of course, includes both the single-player campaigns and multiplayer via splitscreen. Players will be able to speed around race tracks on eight different worlds with 25 playable racers like Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba when it releases in May.

“Star Wars fans can soon go full throttle with Aspyr’s update to the classic, fan-favorite, Star Wars Episode l: Racer,” Aspyr’s Elizabeth Howard, vice president of publishing, said as part of the announcement. “The beloved game has been modernized for the most optimal gaming experience on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. Star Wars fans should get ready to steer their racer to victory and leave their opponents in the dust.”

What do you think of what we’ve seen of the new version of Star Wars Episode 1: Racer so far? Are you excited to check it out on the new platforms? Let us know in the comments, or hit me up directly on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk all things gaming!

Star Wars Episode 1: Racer is set to release for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on May 12th for $14.99. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the Star Wars franchise right here.