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Time Trials in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds reward a faster line, smart shortcut choices and well-timed boosts. Published hands-on coverage describes a three-lap run without Travel Rings; a review also reports that earning A rank on three different tracks unlocks a selection of Sonic-series music for the Jukebox. Exact current rank cutoffs by track and speed class are not established in the available sources.
How Time Trials work
TechRadar’s hands-on preview, published August 26, 2025, described Time Trial as a straight three-lap test without Travel Rings. In that account, racers collect boost items during the run rather than starting with them by default. Treat this as a published preview account, not a current official rules sheet: SEGA’s latest version notice reviewed here does not detail Time Trial mechanics.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Amazon Exclusive Edition - Nintendo Switch | $36.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Standard Edition - Nintendo Switch | $34.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (Playstation 5) | $34.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds - P4 | $59.95 | Buy on Amazon |
The preview’s practical takeaway is that a fast run depends on decisions as well as clean driving. You choose which shortcuts to take and when to spend collected boosts. TechRadar used E Stadium to illustrate the trade-off: saving a boost for a more valuable grass cut may beat using it on a smaller shortcut. Read TechRadar’s hands-on preview.
How to improve a Time Trial run
- Learn the course line. Run the track to identify its turns, potential shortcuts and places where you can reliably maintain speed. Avoid committing to a cut until you can enter and exit it consistently.
- Compare shortcut value. Consider how much distance or time a route appears to save alongside its difficulty. A tighter or riskier cut is useful only if you can execute it without losing more time than it saves.
- Plan boost use around the route. Note where boost items appear and consider whether using one before, during or after a shortcut offers more value. The E Stadium example shows why spending a boost immediately on a smaller cut may not be the best choice.
- Repeat with one change at a time. Test a different route or boost timing on a new attempt, rather than changing several decisions together. That makes it easier to spot which choice improved your run.
TechRadar reported that runs receive a grade and described S rank as demanding during its preview event, but it did not publish an official threshold table. Use the in-game grade to judge your result; do not rely on an unsourced time target.
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- READY, SET, WARP! Race across 24 tracks and warp to 15 CrossWorlds with Travel Rings, a unique gameplay mechanic that transports the iconic characters from the Sonic and SEGA universes into new dimensions. Use unpredictability to your advantage as you change the landscape of each race!
- RACE WITH THE BEST! Choose from 23 iconic Sonic characters, the largest roster of any Sonic racing game!
- MAKE IT YOURS: Mix and match between 45 unique original vehicles and 70 different gadgets to trick out your ride, level up your kart, and create the ultimate machine to match your racing style.
- GAIN THE ADVANTAGE WITH POWERFUL ITEMS! Dominate your opponents with 23 different items including returning favorites and all-new items like the Monster Truck!
- MULTIPLE WAYS TO PLAY: Gather with friends and play local split-screen in Grand Prix and the new party mode Race Park, compete against a community of players from around the world with up to 12 players online in World Match, or test your driving skills in Time Trials.
Loadouts and mode-specific restrictions
Do not assume your ordinary race setup carries over unchanged. TechRadar’s review notes that some gadgets are unavailable in Time Trial, including a gadget that starts the player with a boost item. Check the in-game gadget restrictions when preparing a run rather than building around a gadget the mode excludes. Read TechRadar’s review.
Mode rules can also differ from standard races. SEGA’s version 1.3.1 notice says Bonus Ring Frenzy and Item Box Frenzy were added to all modes except Time Trial. The version 1.2.0 notice separately describes anti-cheating measures intended to preserve integrity in World Match and Time Trial. See SEGA’s version 1.3.1 notice and version 1.2.0 notice.
Rank #2
- READY, SET, WARP! Race across 24 tracks and warp to 15 CrossWorlds with Travel Rings, a unique gameplay mechanic that transports the iconic characters from the Sonic and SEGA universes into new dimensions. Use unpredictability to your advantage as you change the landscape of each race!
- RACE WITH THE BEST! Choose from 23 iconic Sonic characters, the largest roster of any Sonic racing game!
- MAKE IT YOURS: Mix and match between 45 unique original vehicles and 70 different gadgets to trick out your ride, level up your kart, and create the ultimate machine to match your racing style.
- GAIN THE ADVANTAGE WITH POWERFUL ITEMS! Dominate your opponents with 23 different items including returning favorites and all-new items like the Monster Truck!
- MULTIPLE WAYS TO PLAY: Gather with friends and play local split-screen in Grand Prix and the new party mode Race Park, compete against a community of players from around the world with up to 12 players online in World Match, or test your driving skills in Time Trials.
Time Trial rewards
TechRadar’s review reports that earning A rank on three different tracks unlocks a selection of Sonic-series music for the Jukebox. The qualifying tracks can include Travel Ring CrossWorld tracks. The review mentions music from Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Mania, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colors, Sonic Lost World and other games; it does not state an exact song count or say that every track independently awards a song.
If music is your goal, focus on reaching A rank on three distinct tracks rather than repeating one course. Check the Jukebox after meeting that condition to see the selection available in your game.
Rank #3
- Pre-order Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and receive the playable character Werehog, the Werehog vehicle "Beast Spike", and the Werehog Decal!
- Race across land, sea, air, space, and time in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds! Warp through Travel Rings into new dimensions where something new awaits around every twist and turn.
- Speed to victory solo or as a team in a variety of offline and online modes and compete against players from around the world. Build the ultimate vehicle to match your racing style, unlock gadgets to gain the upper hand, and unleash power-up items to bring home the win!
- Gain the Advantage with Powerful Items! Dominate your opponents with 23 different items including returning favorites and all-new items like the Monster Truck!
- Make It Yours Mix and match between 45 unique original vehicles and 70 different gadgets to trick out your ride, level up your kart, and create the ultimate machine to match your racing style.
Rank cutoffs and the latest update
The reviewed sources do not establish current time thresholds for each track and speed class, or a comprehensive medal and reward table. Because of that, there is no reliable basis here for prescribing a specific lap time for A or S rank. Use the rank shown in-game and treat any precise cutoff found elsewhere as specific to the cited track, class and version unless its source clearly says otherwise.
SEGA’s version 1.4.3 notice, dated October 8, 2026, lists PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Steam and Epic. It describes data for upcoming live-service operations and minor bug fixes, not a Time Trial change. Read SEGA’s version 1.4.3 notice.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- UK PSN account may be required for any online features
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