Re-Volt

1999 Acclaim Studios Teesside Racing

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot sold

LinuxGold

Steam DeckPlayable

Gamicality score

Metacritic Not rated

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 871

How it’s combined

Playability today

Runs today4.5/5

Design today3.5/5

Steam user reviews

Very Positive

91%

1,325 reviews1

Get it on Steam Watch the trailer

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Re-Volt run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11With a fix

Runs with a fix. See the steps below.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxGold

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Gold, runs perfectly after tweaks.3

Steam DeckPlayable

Playable, as rated by Valve. May need some setup.1

Played Re-Volt lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

How to get Re-Volt running today

Install the community port RVGL over the Steam game folder, using its patch-only download, to get proper widescreen menus, modern controller support, higher frame rates and working online play.
If the game will not start or the resolution is wrong without RVGL, add the launch options -w 1920 -h 1080 (with your own resolution) in Steam's properties, as suggested in this Steam thread.
If RVGL plays no music, rename the music folder in the game directory to redbook (PCGamingWiki).

Synopsis

Re-Volt is an arcade racing game in which radio-controlled toy cars race through suburban streets, a toy store, a museum, a supermarket and other everyday places. You pick up batteries, fireworks, oil slicks and other weapons on the track, win cups to unlock new cars and tracks, and can build your own courses in a track editor.

Developer: Acclaim Studios Teesside
Released: 1999
Genre: Racing
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics in 1999 gave the PC version favorable reviews, liking its tracks, physics and sense of scale, though some found the light, nimble cars hard to handle without a gamepad. Retrospectives still praise it; a 2026 Top Gear piece singles out its tracks as the real star. On Steam the 2022 release is rated Very Positive, mostly out of nostalgia, but many recent reviews warn that it is a bare, unpatched port with weak controller support and point players to the free community port RVGL instead. Some reviewers also object to the current rights holder that published this release.

Trailer from Steam

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

4.5/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
All of its content still works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The full original game and its soundtrack are included, and online play lives on through the community port RVGL (PCGamingWiki).
Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen resolutions work, but the HUD and menus stretch unless RVGL is installed (PCGamingWiki).
Full controller support or remappable controls
DirectInput controllers work with full remapping; RVGL adds support for modern controllers and hotplugging (PCGamingWiki).
Steam Deck Verified or Playable
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
PCGamingWiki lists fixes for the known startup and DirectPlay issues and no open issue that crashes or blocks progress, though some recent Steam reviews report poor frame rates in the unpatched release (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

3.5/5

Controls feel awkward on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
The Steam release is set up for keyboard; controllers work only through old DirectInput support, and recent players report needing RVGL to use a modern gamepad. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, steamcommunity.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
Widescreen resolutions work, but the HUD and menus are stretched by default; only RVGL fixes them and adds proper high-resolution support. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
Races last a few minutes, and the progress table keeps won and unlocked tracks, won cups and collected stunt stars, with Steam Cloud syncing the data; each championship race allows at most three tries. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, files.re-volt.io.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
There is no tutorial, but four driving modes, from a simplified Junior R/C mode to Simulation, plus a Practice mode without opponents let new players ease in; a 1999 PC review still found the twitchy steering so punishing that a family of players rarely won. Source: files.re-volt.io, christiananswers.net.
Pacing holds up: little grind, filler or forced backtracking
Single races, cups, time trials, practice stars and a stunt arena give short, varied sessions, with new tracks unlocked by finishing no lower than third. Source: files.re-volt.io, topgear.com.
Camera and movement never fight the player
The chase camera keeps the car in view, and the light toy cars handle by design; players who learn each car's steering and slow for corners report the handling feels fair. Source: steamcommunity.com, topgear.com.