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You probably weren’t expecting a new Tokyo Xtreme Racer in 2025 – but it’s happening.
After a nearly 20-year hiatus, Tokyo Xtreme Racer is making a triumphant return. Developed by original series creator Genki, the reboot is set to introduce a new generation of fans to the revered JDM highway racing series.
With the early access release fast approaching, here’s everything you need to know about the much-anticipated Tokyo Xtreme Racer reboot.
What is Tokyo Xtreme Racer?
Also known as Shutoko Battle in Japan, Tokyo Xtreme Racer is a street racing series by Japanese developer and publisher Genki, where you battle rivals in head-to-head races on nighttime Tokyo highways. This concept is inspired by Japan’s real-life underground Wangan racing scene made famous by the notorious Mid Night Club street racing gang in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the Wangan Midnight manga series.
The series began in 1994 on the Super Famicom with the Japanese-only Shutoko Battle ’94 Keiichi Tsuchiya Drift King. As the series gained a cult following, several sequels and spin-offs followed, with the mainline Tokyo Xtreme Racer series culminating with 2006’s Shutokou Battle X on Xbox 360.
Several entries were also released outside Japan under alternative names, such as Tokyo Highway Racer, Import Tuner Challenge and Street Supremacy. Now, 19 years later, the series is making a surprise comeback in 2025.
Hitting Early Access in January, the 2025 reboot takes place in a “sealed-off future Tokyo,” with you racing tuner cars against rivals on the Tokyo Expressway. Genki has faithfully recreated over 180 kilometres of the Shuto Expressway, including the famous C1 line.
Retaining the spirit of the original games, Tokyo Xtreme Racer sees the return of the series’ signature SP Battles. This involves challenging rivals to one-on-one highway duels by flashing your headlights. In previous games, races are won when you or a competitor runs out of Speed Points after falling too far behind.
In the reboot, a new story mode will see you encounter over 200 rival characters, each with a unique storyline. Six rivals are confirmed so far, with the likes of Midnight Rose and Rolling Guy returning from previous games.
Around half of the story mode will be playable in the initial early access release. The reboot will also introduce a new ‘player skill gain’ feature.
Release date
Tokyo Xtreme Racer will be released on 23rd January 2025 via Steam Early Access at 8am UTC/GMT, 2am PT, 3am ET, 9am CET and 3PM JST.
While a release date for the final version is yet to be confirmed, Genki estimates the Early Access period will last “approximately four months,” hinting at a possible May 2025 release window.
Genki will gather player feedback during the Early Access period to make improvements, with additional storylines, cars and rival characters planned for the final game.
“We felt it would be best to launch the game in Early Access to do justice to the franchise,” the Japanese developer said. “A lot has changed in the genre since Tokyo Xtreme Racer was around, and we believe it’s just as important to collect feedback not only from the fans that have stuck with the franchise but also from racing game fans in general.”
Price
In a producer letter shared on X, formerly Twitter, Genki announced that Tokyo Xtreme Racer will retail at a “limited time low price” of $29.99 when it releases in Early Access on 23rd January.
Pricing outside the US is yet to be confirmed, but this converts to £24.56/€29.14, which will likely be rounded to £24.99/€29.99. The final version is expected to retail at a higher price, giving fans an opportunity to get a discount during the Early Access period.
Platforms: Will Tokyo Xtreme Racer come to consoles?
Tokyo Xtreme Racer is currently slated for PC only via Steam Early Access. However, in a producer letter shared on social media, Genki says the PC version is coming “first,” implying that other platforms are planned.
“The reason we chose PC first was because we believe it will allow the most ease of access to our fans all over the world as well as allow us to tweak and improve the game as quickly as we can,” Genki wrote in a producer letter shared on social media.
Given that the series has historically been on multiple platforms including Dreamcast, PlayStation 2 and mobiles, a console release seems likely at some point, but this is not yet confirmed.
System requirements
Genki has confirmed the system requirements for Tokyo Xtreme Racer. You’ll need high-end hardware to play it though, as even the minimum system requirements include 16GB of RAM and an Intel Core i7 processor.
Minimum system requirements
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10/11 64-Bit
- Processor: Intel Core i7-7700
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (VRAM 4GB)
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 12 GB available space
- Additional Notes: 1920×1080 with graphics setting at “Low” recommended. SSD recommended.
Recommended requirements
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10/11 64-Bit
- Processor: Intel Core i7-13700
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060(VRAM 8GB) or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060i(VRAM 8GB)
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 12 GB available space
- Additional Notes: graphics setting at “High” recommended. SSD recommended. For the “Ultra” graphics setting, GeForce® RTX 4060 or higher is recommended.
Gameplay
After a series of teasers and CGI-rendered videos, Genki presented the first gameplay footage of Tokyo Xtreme Racer in December 2024 alongside the game’s public debut at Fuelfest in Arizona.
The footage showcases the traditional gameplay the series is famous for, with modified JDM cars hurtling along highways in head-to-head battles, weaving through traffic and speeding through tunnels – all accompanied by a rock soundtrack.
Car list: Every car confirmed so far
Given the series’ Japanese roots and location, it’s no surprise that the car list comprises Japanese manufacturers. The final game will feature 50 cars, with iconic JDM models like the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34, Toyota Supra RZ and 2000 Mazda RX-7.
A complete car list is yet to be confirmed, but here’s every car announced so far:
- Mazda3 Fastback 20S Retro Sports Edition
- 2000 Mazda RX-7
- Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)
- Subaru Impreza WRX STI spec C
- 2022 Suzuki Swift Sport (ZC33S)
- Toyota GR86 RZ
- Toyota AE86 Sprinter Levin
- Toyota Supra RZ
Customisation
Car customisation is another staple of the series and is set to be a key focus in the reboot. Money won in races can be used to modify your cars extensively.
A gameplay video previews the advanced customisation options, with the ability to fit bonnets, scoops, wings, bumpers, wheels, exhausts and eye-catching paint jobs from real-life aftermarket suppliers such as Blitz, Impul, Enkei and C-West among others.
Are you looking forward to hitting the highway and racing rivals in the Tokyo Xtreme Racer reboot? Let us know in the comments below.
