For a casual player in Sonic Racing Crossworlds, speed might be the top priority and the most important aspect of the game. But for a competitive player trying to get the most out of their kart, the right gear is your ultimate weapon. As you progress, you come to realize that to win, you have to be strategic with your gadget setup and usage.
When you start the game as a beginner, you only have one or two gadget slots available, and you have to play different races and complete Grand Prixs to unlock the full gadget plate. Your goal should be to unlock the Master Plate, which has 6 slots, to maximize your chances of winning. Slots are important in this game, as some of the stronger gadgets can take up to three entire slots.
If you’re wondering how to best fulfill those slots, here are the best gadgets in Sonic Racing Crossworlds and when/how to use them.
Level 1 Quick Charge
This is one of the first gadgets that you’ll start off with, but its importance doesn’t wear off even when you’re dozens of hours into playing. This gadget reduces the time required for the level 1 drift meter to fill up entirely. It maximizes boost frequency over boost strength to make the gaps in your boosts shorter.
To make the most of this gadget, you can use the technique “snaking” on straights. This is when you tap and release a short drift on straightaways to chain continuous boosts, helping you maintain your speed on difficult tracks with very few corners. You unlock this gadget by earning “The Basic Master” milestone. This is earned by either completing the first 5 races of the Grand Prix mode or doing 100 total level 1 Drift Boosts. Apart from the technical rewards, you also feel a sort of adrenaline due to the non-stop speed you have throughout the race.
Level 2 Quick Charge
We’re at risk of making some obvious recommendations with this list, but so many people are quick to overlook the fundamental gadgets in favor of flashier ones. Costing one to two slots, this gadget significantly reduces the time required to bridge the gap from a level 1 to a level 2 drift charge. To make this gadget useful, use the Corner Exit Rocket, which is to commit to drift on medium-wide corners until the level 2 pops and quickly releases. This grants you a stronger speed boost than level 1 without the deceleration penalty when you hold out for level 3.
Maintaining speed and boost consistently is important for victory in this game, and even more important for Time Trials. So, don’t sleep on the quick charge gadgets. To unlock Level 2 Quick Charge, you have to achieve the Drift Consistency milestone. Do this by winning the first Grand Prix cup or doing 50 total Level 2 Drift Boosts. It is rewarding as it is a reliable source of power, as the level 2 boost is always ready on demand.
130 Ring Limit
Costing one slot, it increases your maximum ring count from 100 to 130 rings. It is one of the most necessary gadgets in the game as your racer hits maximum speed at 100 rings.
The strategy you can use with this gadget is called Defensive Banking. When facing a boss or a spam zone, consider these 30 extra rings as your protective barrier. You can tank one hit without losing your maximum speed, which is essential for staying ahead of others.
To unlock this, you have to earn the Ring Hoarder milestone. This is gained by either collecting a total of 10,000 rings across all modes or completing a race with over 100 rings. There’s also the upgraded version of this gadget: the 200 Ring Limit. That has a slot cost of two, but is far more beneficial, as you can afford to lose more rings and still have maximum velocity.
However, you have to finish at least 46 races to unlock the 200 Ring Limit. When you’re starting, the 130 Ring Limit is a good alternative.
Ring Thief
This one’s for you if you’re down to cause some chaos on the track. Ring Thief allows you to steal a measly 5 rings from any opponent you make physical contact with. It costs 2 slots, but it’s worth having, as you will end up bumping people a lot more to take full advantage of it. This not only adds a bit to the fun, if that’s your playstyle, but also allows you to implement what the community is calling “The Bumper Car” strategy.
Your goal is to basically target a large group of opponents in tight tunnels or the first 30 seconds of the race to steal rings from multiple people. This helps in increasing your speed and making others slower. It’s a menacing and risky strategy, but one that pays off in big ways. You unlock this one after earning the Aggressive Playstyle milestone. Gain this milestone by completing 50 successful collisions or eliminating a total of 5 opponents’ collision-based items.
Air Trick Bounty
Air Tricks are a lot of fun in Crossworlds, as they can often help you catch an opponent that you otherwise couldn’t. The Air Trick Bounty gadget is perfect for tracks where Air Tricks are abundant, as it rewards you with a bonus of up to 5 rings for each rotation. It only costs 1 slot, so it’s a sort of must-have for tracks with a lot of tricks.
The best way to utilize this gadget is to perform the Dragon Gold Rush. This is a technique where you perform big jumps and quick rotations on smaller ramps to refill your rings. Pair this with the Air Trick Expert gadget to speed up trick execution further. Air Trick Bounty is unlocked by achieving the Acrobatic Mastery milestone. Earn this by doing 50 perfect Air Tricks or finishing 10 races with a high Air Control stat vehicle.
Ultimate Charge
Costing 2 slots, Ultimate Charge unlocks the level 4 Drift tier. When activated, you gain invincibility for a short time span, making item hits and hazards ineffective. You can use this to perform incredibly high-stakes evasive maneuvers, such as unleashing Ultimate Charge right when a homing item is about to connect.
If you’re tired of getting spammed by frustrating items all race round, this is a gadget you want to unlock pretty quickly. It is particularly useful if you’re playing online, where gadget and item use is more menacing. This is unlocked by achieving the Unstoppable Force milestone, which is earned by performing 25 level 4 Drift boosts or finishing a Grand Prix without falling off the track.
Quick Recovery
As the name implies, this is an essential gadget to have in your arsenal if you don’t want to waste time recovering from hits. Stun duration isn’t particularly long in Crossworlds, but you can be knocked off long enough to lose positions. Quick Recovery greatly reduces the stun duration after any hit, allowing you to gain control of your vehicle faster.
Unfortunately, it does cost 3 slots, so it can be a bit annoying to use. But, it’s an essential item to have if you find yourself often leading races, then losing the lead. Players in the first position are targeted a lot more, but Quick Recovery means you’ll be back in the fight faster than your opponents will expect. You need to achieve the Defensive Expert milestone to unlock it, completing 15 multiplayer races or completing 3 Grand Prix cups on high difficulty. Trust me, as someone whose races are ruined by the stun duration all the time, this is a very nice to have.
Collision Boost
Taking up two gadget slots, it grants your vehicle a small boost whenever you collide with an opponent’s machine, converting an otherwise negative situation into a positive one. Instead of avoiding hits, you kind of want racers to bump into you. The best way to use it is to pair it up with the Ring Thief to make every collision a profitable moment as you steal rings and gain speed both at the same time.
You can use it in crowded online lobbies to create mayhem across the track, unsettling your opponents and gaining first place. To unlock Collision Boost, you just have to finish 30 races in any mode to make it available. There is no particular milestone for this one. It’s a really interesting gadget to have as it flips the script on your opponents. Some smarter online racers will also try to avoid hitting you if they get the idea that you’re using Collision Boost and Ring Thief simultaneously to your advantage.
