Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds ships with full cross-play across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. According to Sonic series producer Takashi Iizuka, making that happen was by far the hardest part of development.
In an interview with Dengeki Online, Iizuka explained that while the Sonic franchise has always supported multiple platforms, implementing true cross-play was “leagues more difficult.” The breakthrough came through a partnership with SEGA’s arcade division, which contributed its extensive online systems expertise to help build CrossWorlds’ netcode and infrastructure.
Producer Ryuichi Taki added that cross-play was greenlit early because it directly improves matchmaking quality. A unified global player pool means new racers are less likely to be matched against veterans, ensures active lobbies at any time of day, and supports SEGA’s goal of turning CrossWorlds into a global multiplayer platform.
The cost of this feature, however, was enormous. Taki described an “incredibly down-to-earth” optimization process across every platform to maintain consistent performance and fairness between hardware generations. The challenge contributed to what he called the longest development cycle for a Sonic racing game to date.
The result is a 12-player cross-platform racer that aims to feel the same whether you’re playing on console, PC, or handheld. Iizuka and Taki both view it as a foundation for the future of Sonic’s online racing experiences, with ongoing monthly updates already planned to keep the competition fresh.
Stay tuned to Sonic City for more Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds news and updates.
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