12 Essential Tips for Mastering Star Wars: Galactic Racer and Avoiding Crashes
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is now available on PS5, Xbox, and PC, and it’s shaping up to be one of the standout games of 2026. This title blends high-speed racing, arcade-style action, and roguelike mechanics, making it a must-play for fans of the franchise. However, be warned: Galactic Racer can be quite challenging, and it doesn’t hold your hand through every aspect of gameplay.
To assist you in your quest to defeat the smug champion Kestar Bool, I’ve compiled a dozen spoiler-free tips for navigating Galactic Racer. While I can’t promise you’ll clinch victory in every race, these tips should help you earn some credits and survive a few more laps.
Galactic Racer is a game where a single misstep can lead to disaster. NPC racers are relentless, often shoving you off the track at every opportunity. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the various unlockable parts, master different boosts, and discover shortcuts. It’s a lot to take in, so prepare for some losses in the campaign—it’s part of the learning curve.
In the main tour mode, it’s crucial to focus on finishing races rather than risking everything for a win. If you crash too many times while chasing glory, you’ll have to restart the entire tour. While some events do require a win to progress, most races in the single-player mode are forgiving. It’s often better to finish in fourth place, collect credits, and upgrade your speeder for the next event.
During the tour mode, you can choose from three types of vehicles. The reliable landspeeder is great for drifting and can withstand a lot of damage. The nimble speeder bike offers a turbo boost after drifting, while the skimmer, though less agile, packs a punch and excels on straightaways.
I personally favored the landspeeder due to its defensive capabilities, but all three vehicles can be effective; it’s all about finding the one that suits your playstyle and being open to trying different options.
As you progress through events and win races, you’ll have opportunities to enhance your speeder’s stats, such as drift performance and damage resistance. While all upgrades are beneficial, I recommend prioritizing cornering and speed. Better cornering allows for quicker and tighter turns, which can be crucial in tight races, while increased speed is, of course, essential for winning.
Although the main story mode, complete with cutscenes and rivalries, is a major draw, don’t overlook the other single-player events available from the start. These include races and time trials that let you pilot different vehicles and play as various racers across the game’s tracks. They’re not just entertaining; they also provide a less stressful environment to learn the tracks compared to the main tour, where a single crash can derail your progress.
A classic tip for racing games: always look for shortcuts. Some shortcuts in Galactic Racer are minor and won’t offer much of an edge, while others can significantly boost your position or shave seconds off your time. Learn these shortcuts and use them wisely, but be cautious, as they can be risky at high speeds.
As you upgrade your speeder and rack up race wins, you’ll unlock various abilities that can be equipped for an edge during races. These gadgets can be activated to gain advantages or shield yourself from damage. One of the most useful is the shield ability, which envelops your speeder in a protective bubble, allowing you to glide over hazards like lava and acid.
To activate these abilities, simply tap the corresponding d-pad button on your controller. Just remember that each ability consumes battery power, indicated by dots in the bottom left corner. Use them wisely, or you might find yourself without a shield when you need it most.
Your speeder comes equipped with two types of speed-boosting options. The first is the straightforward afterburner, which you activate with a button press for a temporary speed boost. It drains energy quickly but refills during the race. The second option is the Ramjet, which operates differently.
Once your Ramjet is charged, indicated by a meter in the bottom-right corner, you can activate “Ramjet mode” by clicking the right stick. When you hit the boost button in this mode, you’ll experience a significant speed increase. However, be cautious—overheating the Ramjet can lead to an explosion. Use water found in rivers and icy areas to cool it down quickly.
During crashes, you might break parts and incur negative traits, which can be frustrating. Between tour segments, seek out the alien scrap dealer to repair your parts for a fee. Just weigh whether the cost of repair is worth it for the negative trait you’ve acquired.
In Galactic Racer’s tour mode, it’s easy to get caught up in acquiring the best parts and upgrades without considering your speeder’s overall build. This can lead to trouble. Instead, think strategically about the type of speeder you want to create and choose parts that enhance your build between races.
For instance, during one tour, I had no ship abilities, so I avoided upgrades that increased battery capacity. In another instance, I focused on maximizing my Ramjet’s speed, even at the risk of overheating. It was a gamble, but it paid off in some tough races.
The story mode features a node-based menu for navigating the tour. While on this screen, take a moment to look ahead at upcoming events and how they connect. This foresight can help you avoid races that may be too risky for your current build or allow you to activate random events for potential advantages.
When you first dive into Galactic Racer, you might be surprised to find that the main tour mode isn’t solely focused on podracing. While it does play a role later on, if you’re eager for some podracing action, check out the Arcade section for dedicated events. You can also jump online for podracing, but you’ll need to level up to unlock those tours. And if you encounter Sebulba during the main tour, be sure to chat with him to relive some of his glory days and take his iconic podracer for a spin.
