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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered remains an enjoyable arcade racer, especially if you want direct, high-speed events built around a cops-versus-racers contest. The remaster adds the main DLC, cross-platform features and visual and interface updates, but it does not turn the game into a modern open-world racer. Review scores and performance reports also depend on platform: Metacritic’s PS4 critic page showed 75/100 when accessed in 2026, while Nintendo Life rated the Switch edition 7/10 in 2020.
What kind of racing game is it?
Set in Seacrest County, Hot Pursuit Remastered is an arcade racer with separate racer and police careers. It is built around events and pursuits rather than a sprawling open world or a deep vehicle-simulation model. That focused structure makes it easy to get into a race quickly, but players looking for broad exploration and layered long-term progression may find it limited.
As a racer, you use counterattacks and defensive moves to evade police. As a police interceptor, you deploy tactical equipment to stop racers. Completing a solo career or competing with others earns Bounty, which unlocks cars, weapons and equipment. The central appeal is the change of perspective between the two roles, not a large range of modes or an open-ended driving sandbox.
What did the remaster change?
Electronic Arts said the remaster includes all main DLC, adding six hours of gameplay and more than 30 challenges. Those are EA’s launch-announcement figures, not an independently measured estimate of how long an individual player will take.
#1 Best Overall
- CROSS-PLATFORM MULTIPLATER AND AUTOLOG: Bolt down the winding Seacrest County roads headfirst in racing that is socially competitive at its core, the ground-breaking Autolog connects you and your friends in head-to-head pursuits and races and instinctively delivers challenges based on your friends' activities, this highly dynamic system is fuelled by friendly competition and is now supported with cross-platform sync and new multiplayer gameplay so that you can race each other no matter what platform you are on
- EXOTIC CARS WITH WEAPONS: Drive the world's most desirable supercars on both sides of the law, bust suspects in supercharged cop interceptors enhanced with tactical weaponry, or level the playing field with counterattacks and defensive manoeuvres as an elite racer, strategize to gain an edge over the competition, no matter what side you're on
- CHASE AND ESCAPE: A deep and fully-defined single-player career delivers the action of both cops and racers, with a seamlessly linked multiplayer experience across all race modes, take on friends or play through the career solo to earn Bounty and unlock new cars, weapons, and equipment
- ENHANCED VISUALS: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered delivers a timeless racing experience updated for today's generation of hardware with enhanced visuals
- ALL MAIN DLC INCLUDED, PLUS MORE UPDATES: Get all main DLC delivered at launch including an extra six hours of gameplay and more than 30 challenges, brand new achievements, wraps, car colours, reduced hard stops, an updated photo mode and gallery, and multiple quality of life updates create an even more well-rounded gameplay experience this time around
The update also brought enhanced visuals, new car colors and achievements, an updated photo mode, reduced hard stops and other quality-of-life changes. Online features include cross-platform multiplayer and asynchronous Autolog competition, which lets players compare and compete on event results across platforms. These additions broaden the package, but the basic event-to-event structure remains recognizably the original game’s.
What do reviews say?
PS4 critic aggregate
When accessed in 2026, Metacritic’s PS4 critic page showed a 75/100 Metascore, labelled “Generally Favorable,” based on 36 critic reviews: 23 positive, 13 mixed and none negative. This is Metacritic’s platform-specific aggregate, and its review count or score may change. It should not be treated as a single rating for every edition.
Rank #2
The broad critical response is that the racing itself still works: the speed, pursuits and clear arcade design remain entertaining. The reservations concern how little the remaster changes beyond polish and additions. An IGN excerpt reproduced on Metacritic called it “the bare minimum expectation of a remaster,” while Push Square characterized the remaster as underwhelming despite the fun arcade racing.
Nintendo Switch review
Nintendo Life’s Chris Scullion gave the Switch version 7/10 in a review published November 19, 2020. The review praised the quick access to races, straightforward career and cross-platform multiplayer, but criticized limited depth, empty free roam and matchmaking that can pair players with basic cars against opponents with stronger unlocks. Its conclusion was that the simplicity can be a strength even though the game lacks depth.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
- 5.03095E+12
- Model Number:
- Colour: Black
How does the Switch version run?
Nintendo Life reported 1080p resolution when docked and 720p in handheld mode, with performance generally at 30 frames per second. The review observed rare stutters in demanding scenes during its 2020 review period. These are that reviewer’s observations, not a current benchmark for every Switch system or software update, and they do not establish performance on other platforms.
Are online multiplayer and Autolog available now?
The remaster launched with cross-platform multiplayer and asynchronous Autolog competition, but launch features do not guarantee that every online service remains active. Nintendo’s official Switch page warns that online features may be discontinued and are not guaranteed. EA’s terms say online play requires persistent internet access and an EA account, and that EA may retire online features after notice. Those caveats do not establish the current status of a particular service; check current platform and EA service notices if online play is important to you.
Rank #4
![Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered - Standard - Steam PC [Online Game Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51njis9bbYL._SL160_.jpg)
- Cross-Platform Multiplayer and Autolog - Bolt down the winding Seacrest County roads headfirst in racing that is socially competitive at its core.
- All Main DLC Included, Plus More Updates - Get all main DLC delivered at launch including an extra six hours of gameplay and more than 30 challenges.
- Exotic Cars with Weapons - Drive the world’s most desirable supercars on both sides of the law.
- Chase and Escape - A deep and fully-defined single-player career delivers the action of both cops and racers.
- Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered delivers a timeless racing experience updated for today's generation of Hardware with enhanced visuals
Is Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered worth it?
It is a good fit if you want brisk arcade races, police pursuits and the ability to play both sides of the chase. The included DLC and quality-of-life updates make this a fuller package than a straight re-release, but the remaster is a modest update rather than a redesign. If your priority is an expansive open world or substantial modern progression, its linear event structure is the main reason to look elsewhere. Confirm the edition and current online-service status for your platform before buying specifically for multiplayer.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Age rating and content
The ESRB rates the game E10+ for Mild Lyrics and Mild Violence and notes Users Interact. Its rating summary mentions street racing, stunts, rewarded crashes, slow-motion collisions, vehicle damage and flying debris.
Best Value
- Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit contains 1-8 player online support as well as leaderboards
- Play as either cops and racers in both a tremendously deep, fully-defined single player career and a groundbreaking multiplayer experience across all race modes
- The Need For Speed Autolog system connects friends directly to each other's games, enabling them to compare and share all their experiences and challenges
- Whether taking down suspects with a variety of cop weapons or using evasion equipment to outsmart the cops, players will always have a method for gaining an edge over their opponent
- Feel the power of busting suspects in supercharged cop interceptors like the Lamborghini Reventon or outsmarting the law as a racer in high performance supercars like the Pagani Zonda Cinque
Release platforms
Electronic Arts lists the game for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. EA’s product page gives November 6, 2020 as the release date; its October 5, 2020 announcement specifies November 6 for PS4, Xbox One and PC, and November 13 for Switch. The Metacritic score cited above is for PS4, and the technical observations cited above are specifically from Nintendo Life’s Switch review.
Quick Recap
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