What to know

  • Extreme Gear vehicles in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds focus on boosting speed with faster boost charging and longer boost duration.
  • They have the lowest durability, making them vulnerable in collisions and requiring skillful handling.
  • The Blue Star Extreme Gear is a classic hoverboard from Sonic Riders, available through Sega rewards.
  • Mastery includes advanced techniques like drift boost spamming and snaking, plus strategic gear builds for optimal performance.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds brings Extreme Gear vehicles to the forefront as the ultimate high-speed machines designed for players seeking a high-risk, high-reward racing style. These hoverboards excel in maintaining constant boost through drifting and other boost sources, enabling racers to reach formidable speeds in the game. However, this speed comes at the cost of fragility—Extreme Gear vehicles suffer the lowest durability stats, meaning collisions with opponents or track hazards can easily set back a race.

Characteristics of Extreme Gear vehicles

Extreme Gear vehicles belong to the boost category. They charge their boost meter faster during drifts (about 40% faster) and enjoy significantly extended boost durations compared to other vehicle types.

This makes them ideal for maintaining top-end speed for longer periods. Boost sources include drift boosts, boost panels, Wisp powers, and ring collections, with drift boost being the most effective for Extreme Gear.

Due to their light construction, collisions and off-road driving are highly penalizing, so driving cleanly and avoiding contact is crucial to success. Players often describe these vehicles as "glass cannons" that require precision driving skills.

Blue Star Extreme Gear from Sonic Riders

One of the highlight vehicles featured is the Blue Star Extreme Gear, which is heavily inspired by Sonic’s hoverboard from the Sonic Riders series. This vehicle is obtainable by linking a SEGA account and registering for rewards, making it both a nostalgic and practical choice for fans of previous Sonic racing games.

How to unlock the Blue Star Extreme Gear

The Blue Star board, Sonic’s signature Extreme Gear, is currently available as downloadable content (DLC). To use it:

Step 1

Own a copy of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds on Steam or another supported platform.

Step 2

Purchase or redeem the “Blue Star Extreme Gear” DLC pack through the platform store.

Step 3

Open the game, go to the gear customization menu, and equip Blue Star before entering a race.

Some regional SEGA reward programs also provide it as a bonus item for account linking.

Mastering Extreme Gear mechanics and techniques

To excel with Extreme Gear in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, players employ advanced techniques such as:

  • Drift boost spamming: Rapidly chaining low-level drift boosts to maintain a constant boost state for maximum speed.
  • Snaking: Alternating drifting directions on straight paths to continuously build boost without turning.
  • Optimized gear builds: Using gadgets and loadouts that maximize boost efficiency, ring collection, and defensive utility.

Recommended gadgets include Ultimate Charge for temporary invincibility frames, Quick Charge for faster boost buildup, Boost Tuner to enhance boost stats, and Slipstream Bounty to generate more rings when drafting opponents.

Strategies for racing with Extreme Gear

Effective ring management is critical since rings directly increase top speed and help sustain boosting. Defensive play is also important—Extreme Gear racers focus on clean racing lines and avoiding collisions rather than aggressive bumping or ramming opponents.

Extreme Gear vehicles offer a thrilling but challenging racing style that rewards technical skill, strategic planning, and precision driving. By understanding their strengths and weaknesses, practicing key mechanics like drift spamming and snaking, and equipping the right gadgets, racers can dominate tracks and leave opponents trailing in speed. The Blue Star Extreme Gear also adds nostalgic value and a unique flair for Sonic fans ready to take their racing to the limit.