Tokyo Xtreme Racer is off to a strong start on Steam

Tokyo Xtreme Racer made a triumphant return last week, with the surprise reboot launching on PC via Steam Early Access. It marks the first entry in the long-dormant highway racing series in nearly 20 years.

Resurrecting a dormant series after such an extended abscence is always risky. After all, Tokyo Xtreme Racer has a loyal fanbase, but there’s a good chance that new generation of players have never heard of it.

Thankfully, however, the risk is paying off so far, with a high number of players hitting the virtual Shuto Expressway on its launch weekend.

According to Steam Charts, Tokyo Xtreme Racer peaked at 15,824 concurrent players on 25^th January. At the time of writing, there are around 11,200 concurrent players right now.

For comparison, Assetto Corsa EVO, which launched on Steam just one week earlier, peaked at 25,752 concurrent players on its 16^th January launch day. Since then, player numbers have seen a sharp drop, peaking at just over 2,600 last weekend.

It probably helps that Tokyo Xtreme Racer’s initial Early Access release is lengthy, with around half of the main campaign available, along with 48 Japanese cars and a rewarding skill tree progression system.

Assetto Corsa EVO, on the other hand, has nine cars and five tracks, with several core features such as the Driving Academy and in-game economy still inaccessible amid ongoing server issues. With the progression system locked, some players may have already abandoned Assetto Corsa EVO.       

With no online requirement or multiplayer, Tokyo Xtreme Racer’s success shows there’s still a healthy appetite for single-player-focused arcade racers. It’s a strong launch for a series that’s been dormant for nearly 20 years, with Genki set to add more cars, rivals and storylines over the next few months.

The Japanese developer estimates the final release will arrive “around four months” after the Early Access release, but a release date and console availability is yet to be confirmed.

Tokyo Xtreme Racer is out now on Steam Early Access for £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99, but has hit a delay in Canada due to a “legal issue.”

Are you enjoying Tokyo Xtreme Racer so far? Let us know in the comments below.