All WipEout games ranked: play order, impact and chronology

Any “best to worst” list, or the other way round, is always based on subjective criteria. 

This article is a good example of that, because here I’m going to give you my view of one of the most iconic sagas in the world of video games. And one of my favourites: Wipeout or WipEout , as it has been called interchangeably (and, honestly, it’s much cooler once you know the context of that capital E).

Also, I’m not going to stick to a single evaluation criterion. You’ll see a couple of lists in a different order, because I’ve used three criteria:

1. One based on the best option for someone who wants to start playing this series today, with no previous experience.
2. Another based on the impact it had when the game appeared at the time.
3. Finally, I’ll leave you with the chronological order, so you can get a better idea of what was going on in the video game world when each entry was released.

And the thing is, judging WipEout 3 now in 2026 is not the same as judging it when it appeared in 1999, almost 30 years ago.

Because video games have evolved enormously since then and we are used to different mechanics -and different graphics- now.

So, before getting into the lists, I want you to keep one idea in mind: there are two big groups of WipEout, the classic and the modern.

Classic WipEout and modern WipEout

Anyone who picks up the controls of any game in this saga will notice that there is a HUGE turning point within the saga. One that separates its beginnings from its later stage of maturity.

So the relevant question here is: which ones belong to each group?

Classic WipEout

In this list we have the origin of the saga, from the first one (1995) to that strange case that is WipEout Fusion (2002), on PS2:

• WipEout – PSX, Sega Saturn, PC
• WipEout 2097 / XL (the name changes depending on the region) – PSX, Sega Saturn
• WipEout 64 – Nintendo 64
• WipEout 3 / Special Edition (the special edition includes more content) – PSX
• WipEout Fusion – PS2

Modern WipEout

The following entries, in which the handling changes a lot due to the lower penalty for collisions, as well as track design and, obviously, the graphics, cover the period from 2005 to 2017 and are:

• WipEout Pure – PSP
• WipEout Pulse – PSP, PS2
• WipEout HD / Fury (Fury is an expansion with more content) – PS3
• WipEout 2048 – PS Vita
• WipEout Omega Collection – PS4

Other WipEout games

In addition to the above, there is a WipEout for mobile, but it is not a futuristic racing game, but a team-management game:

• WipEout Merge – Mobile

With that separation clear, I’ll start with my recommendation for any newcomer to the saga.

#1. Recommended ranking if you’re starting today

My ranking to play today would be this:

1. WipEout Omega Collection

2. WipEout HD Fury

3. WipEout Pure

4. WipEout Pulse

5. WipEout 2048

6. WipEout 3 Special Edition

7. WipEout 64

8. WipEout 2097 / XL

9. WipEout

10. WipEout Fusion

The reason is that, if someone wants to start with this saga today, it is very likely that the classic WipEout games will feel pretty tough.

Both because of the gameplay mechanics, which punish even brushing against the wall of the track to an extreme degree, and because of the graphics, which belong to that first wave of 3D games with simple design, since the machines of the time couldn’t do much more.

Despite the undeniable aesthetic and conceptual design quality of the whole saga, but especially of these first entries -led in this regard by the now-defunct design agency The Designers Republic- the truth is that the first titles “suggested”, rather than showed, all the aesthetic potential behind them.

While it is true that there are versions that let you play these first games in HD, even with high-definition textures, it is normal for any 12-year-old kid to see and feel the classic WipEout games as “old”. And for them not to catch their attention as much as the newer ones, even though they are seriously addictive.

On top of that, until WipEout 64 appeared, these games were played with a traditional D-pad, since PSX did not have analogue sticks until much later.

There was the option of playing with the strange neGconcontroller, but I never had one, nor did I know anyone who had one, so I don’t know what it would have been like to play the first games in the saga that way:

These are the reasons -gameplay mechanics, graphics and control system- why the later WipEout games feel more recommendable today, even though, in terms of innovation, they innovate little and are more compilations or remasters than new games.

WipEout Omega Collection

Release year: 2017.

Platform: PlayStation 4.

I bought a PS4 just to play this game. And this was the trigger for this article, which took me quite a few hours to write. I think those two sentences make it very clear how relevant I consider the game and the series.

Still, I have to admit that the feeling it left me with was very good, but it did not reach the leap that, in my case, going from the PSP entries to HD Fury on PS3 represented. That was amazing (I perfectly remember buying the digital version, downloading it and being blown away).

In Omega Collection the leap is not that big, but it doesn’t matter. It’s a fantastic game, including everything from HD Fury (except the option to view it in 3D) and 2048 on a big screen, at higher resolution and FPS than the PS Vita version.

On top of that, if you play on PS4 Pro or PS5, the resolution reaches 4K (upscaled), improving the already good 1080p.

And yes, HD Fury also shares that same resolution, but if you compare both versions (there’s a video just above) you’ll see that in this one everything is cleaner and brighter. Maybe more artificial.

HD gives a greater sense of realism -lighting aside- precisely because it is “dirtier”. Which is still curious, given that HD was a clean and polished version of Pure and Pulse.  

A matter of feel.

Best way to play today

1. PS5, if you already have one.
2. PS4 or PS4 Pro, if you don’t have anything. You can find the regular one for €50 and the Pro for €90, which will let you play in 4K. You can find the game second-hand for €15-20, and in some PSN sale I’ve seen it for €14.  

WipEout HD Fury

Release year: 2008.

Platform: PlayStation 3.

My favourite and the one I’ve put the most hours into, so I’m not objective. 

And the thing is, the technical side is sublime: graphics at 1080p resolution, rock-solid 60 FPS and the option of 3D, which looks cool, although it takes some getting used to (it is one of the main uses I give my projector). A huge leap compared with the previous ones.

As with Omega Collection, I bought a second-hand PS3 just for this game. And I was absolutely right. Tons of hours poured in, maximum replayability and total enjoyment.

As for the game itself, HD Fury is a high-definition reinterpretation or partial remaster of content from Pure and Pulse, with a PS3 visual finish.

The basis of WipEout HD is 8 tracks taken from WipEout Pure and WipEout Pulse and modernised.

Fury adds 4 race tracks, 4 Zone tracks, new ship models and modes such as Eliminator, Zone Battle and Detonator. The tracks added in Fury also come from Pure and Pulse.

As a curiosity, I prefer playing with the Xbox controller and a USB adapter for PS3 than with the PS3 controller itself. I like the control it gives me better. That’s how geeky I am about this game.

Best way to play today

1. PS3. If you have one, great. If not, you can find them on Wallapop from €30 (or even less), which is what I did a few years ago just to play this game. I bought the game itself digitally for €10, but if not, the second-hand physical version costs about the same. Given the hours of fun it has given me, I couldn’t be happier with the €40 total invested.
2. Emulator gaming PC. It doesn’t have to be top-tier, but it should be something decent, especially in terms of CPU rather than graphics card (a third-generation Ryzen 5, for example). The thing is, the PlayStation 3 is not one of the easiest consoles to emulate.
3. Emulator on Steam Deck. Here the handheld falls a bit short and the FPS fluctuate too much.

WipEout Pure

Release year: 2005.

Platform: PSP.

Absolutely excellent. It has everything: graphically it is very good, the tracks are perhaps the best of all and, in gameplay terms, it recovers the feeling. It is a return to the roots after the detour of Fusion on PS2.

Looking at it with perspective, it is the first one that still feels current today and will not cause any kind of rejection among new players used to today’s mechanics, especially if you play at double or triple the original resolution.

For me, above its PSP successor (Pulse) and currently top 3 within the series. Obviously, I recommend you play it. Very fun.

Best way to play today

1. Emulator on Steam Deck, which will let you increase the resolution.  
2. Emulator for mobile with controller from Xbox or PlayStation and grip: these controllers are much better than the cheap ones, so just attach them to your mobile and you have a more than decent handheld.

3. PSP. If you don’t have one, it will cost you about €40 second-hand.
4. R36S, knowing that you will have to tweak the settings and that you won’t get above 20-25 FPS.

WipEout Pulse

Release year: 2007.

Platform: PSP.

Very good, but a tiny bit below the previous one. Maybe because the tracks are not quite as great, or because it is colder and more functional than Pure. Let’s say it lacks the magic its predecessor had.

Also, the new grid progression system perhaps gives the game more breadth, at the cost of losing arcade spirit. I’m clear that it adds more depth and perhaps more playtime. What I’m not so sure about is whether it is more fun.

There are two versions, on PS2 with better graphics and on PSP with better control. Unless you have a working PlayStation 2, go for the handheld version.

Best way to play today

1. Emulator on Steam Deck, which will let you increase the resolution.
2. Emulator for mobile with controller from Xbox or PlayStation and grip.
3. PSP. If you don’t have one, it will cost you about €40 second-hand.
4. PS2. If you don’t have one and want this game, buy the PSP.  

WipEout 2048

Release year: 2012.

Platform: PS Vita.

Very flashy, fast, dense and spectacular, especially for a handheld console, but also more overloaded, more urban and less futuristic. Perhaps the most “realistic” -if that word applies here at all- but the least iconic, in a hard fight with Fusion.

The thing is, the game is set at the beginning of anti-gravity racing, so the tracks look like avenues, motorways, urban tunnels, buildings, bridges and structures in a hyper-technological city. 

This has one advantage: it looks more tangible, bigger, more detailed and more next-generation handheld. But also a clear disadvantage: it loses part of the visual mystique of the classic WipEout games.

The sound also leans in that direction, with a soundtrack that is (somewhat) less electronic and more urban Drum’n Bass. 

A good game, no doubt, but perhaps a little below the previous masterpieces.

Best way to play today

1. PS Vita. If you have one; if not, considering what it costs on Wallapop, I think there are better options.
2. Steam Deck (at 60 FPS), although I warn you that configuring the game in the emulator is not easy.
3. Emulator for mobile (relatively powerful, with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or higher) with Xbox or PlayStation controller and grip.

WipEout 3 Special Edition

Release year: 1999.

Platform: PlayStation.

Enormously fun. Once you get the hang of it, you will always want to have “one more race” to see if you can get gold on each and every one of its eight tracks. Seriously, in recent years, except for Vampire Survivors, few games have hooked me as much as this one. There’s a reason it’s one of my favourites in the saga.

Technical ceiling on PSX and better control, although more demanding than 2097, a new dynamic with the “turbo” at the cost of our shield that forces us to be more strategic…

It is the same as always -good graphics, good speed, good soundtrack, good tracks, good control, attractive futuristic aesthetics-, but better. That is why I recommend you play it, even if graphically it looks like it comes from the last century (because it does).

The most elegant, clean and aesthetic of all. Pure minimalism.

Best way to play today

1. R36S. For convenience and because it fits the screen and controls very well.
2. Emulator for mobile with controller from Xbox or PlayStation and grip: these controllers are much better than the cheap ones, so just attach them to your mobile and you have a more than decent handheld.
3. Browser, without installing anything: https://gam.onl/psx/WipEout -3.html#WipEout -3. Better on mobile, with a controller and grip, but even with a keyboard on PC it is surprisingly playable.
4. Steam Deck with HD texture pack. I put this option last because, although it changes things a bit and the game looks almost like Dreamcast, in my opinion the Deck is too big for such a simple game.  

WipEout 64

Release year: 1998.

Platform: Nintendo 64.

Its appearance on Nintendo 64 was a real surprise, since it was a game strongly linked to PlayStation, even though there had been previous versions for Saturn and PC.

This game is a kind of remaster? version? of WipEout 2097 for Nintendo’s console, but with many changes.

The main one is that the tracks are similar to those of the original and 2097, but they feel very different. Especially because several do not seem to take place on Earth but on other planets: we swap concrete and neon for alien atmosphere or, at least, an ambiguous one.

Graphically it is better, as a result of the console’s greater power, although the scenery popup is painful and some people prefer the definition of the PSX versions instead of a certain “blur” from the N64’s antialiasing. For me there is no contest in favour of this version, even surpassing WipEout 3 in this respect.

The speed is also higher and, in addition, it is the first in the saga to be handled with an analogue stick.

On the other hand, although the soundtrack is more than decent, given that we are talking about a cartridge with limited space versus Sony’s console CDs, the PSX soundtracks are far superior.  

A short, 100% arcade and fun game today.

Best way to play today

1. Browser, without installing anything: https://gam.onl/n64/WipEout -64.html#WipEout -64. Better with a controller, but even with a keyboard it is very playable (you only need 6 keys).
2. Emulator mobile and controller with grip.
3. R36S or Steam Deck if you have no other choice. On the R36S the problem is that it doesn’t run smoothly. On the Deck it only works with the joystick and oversteers. I suppose it could be adjusted, but I haven’t spent enough time on it. At first, it is almost unplayable.

WipEout 2097 / XL

Release year: 1996.

Platform: PlayStation.

If the first one caught the attention of any player at the time, the second was the one that raised the saga to glory. It surpassed the original in everything: better graphics, better settings, better soundtrack, better gameplay. Not for nothing is it the favourite of many people in the saga.  

Not in my case (that place is reserved for HD Fury), but it was undoubtedly a key point in its history.

And that is despite the fact that the saga had its basic lines clear but was not fully defined yet, hence the radical change, for example, in the settings, which are much more colourful than in the previous entry. They seem more organic and less cold than in later entries, despite the industrial, aggressive and even punk aesthetic of the whole.

Today it is hard to get the hang of it, especially graphically, but if you lived through the golden age of arcades, when Sega was queen, this game will bring back great memories. Few works exemplify so well that spirit of the first polygonal arcade games, of playing the same track again and again until you memorise it completely and win.

Best way to play today

1. R36S.
2. Browser, without installing anything: https://gam.onl/psx/WipEout -xl.html#WipEout -xl. Better with a controller, but even with a keyboard it is quite playable.
3. Emulator for mobile with controller from Xbox or PlayStation and grip: these controllers are much better than the cheap ones, so just attach them to your mobile and you have a more than decent handheld.

WipEout 

Release year: 1995.

Platform: PlayStation, Saturn, PC

The original. The one that started the legend. And the thing is, despite being the second worst in the saga today, the impact it had on all of us who were into the scene in the 90s is incomparable. What was that aesthetic? And that music? And that speed?

I remember my friend Santi having it on his Play and how I freaked out the summer it came out when he lent me the console to play a few games. Forget Ridge Racer and all that. PlayStation (1), for me, will always be WipEout.

Today it is somewhat rough both graphically and in terms of gameplay -perhaps the word that best defines it is raw– but I think anyone who enjoys futuristic racing games should try it to understand the roots of the genre.

Best way to play today

1. Play directly online in HD (PC or mobile) and without installing anything: https://gamaverse.com/WipEout -game/.
2. WipEout Phantom for PC (or Steam Deck): https://github.com/WipEout -phantom-edition. 
3. R36S.
4. Emulator for mobile with controller from Xbox or PlayStation and grip.
5. From the browser, but without HD: https://gam.onl/psx/WipEout .html#WipEout (better with Brave, to block ads automatically).  

WipEout Fusion

Release year: 2002.

Platform: PlayStation 2.

I bought this one second-hand in Wales to play on a huge (at the time) 40-inch CRT TV. And the truth is, it disappointed me.

Without being a bad game, it is the worst in the saga. Because it moved too far away from the roots. You can tell that the design agency The Designers Republic which had been hugely involved in the previous entries, helping to create that distinctive futuristic aesthetic, left the project due to differences with its managers. And its contribution was obvious, because this is a WipEout that no longer feels “modern”.

Nor do the creative changes help, with the humanisation of the game through the addition of pilots (the previous universe was completely cold and dehumanised, which was part of its charm) and the inclusion of terrain that is not part of a speed circuit, such as the sandy areas of the first track, which are strongly reminiscent of the pod-racing game from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace on Nintendo 64.  

Another change I didn’t like, although critics are divided, is the increased importance of weapons during races. If in previous WipEout games the balance between racing and shooting might be 80/20, here the weights are much more balanced, becoming 60/40.

There is shooting, a lot of shooting. In fact, when you are first, the feeling is similar to Mario Kart, where you know blows are going to rain down on you. Some people may like that, but for me it moves away from the WipEout = Speed formula.

Finally, and as is normal, graphically it was better than the previous entry (WipEout 3), since this one is from PS2 and the other from PSX. However, it falls far short of the console’s ceiling and the control is also less precise. In addition, there are many moments with very irritating frame drops.

Probably if it had come out under another brand, the memory would be better, because, for example, its tracks were a clear step forward. But it came out under the WipEout IP and that weighs heavily. Even so, I think it is worth giving it a chance today, since its graphics, if you play it at 2x or 3x the original resolution, won’t put you off as much as the PSX entries.

Best way to play today

1. Emulator on Steam Deck at 2x the original resolution.  
2. Emulator for mobile with controller from Xbox or PlayStation and grip.
3. PlayStation 2, if you have one. If not, don’t buy it for this game.

#2. Ranking by historical impact 

Here I’m no longer putting on the glasses of a newcomer to the saga, but those of a fan who has faithfully followed its evolution, because I loved it. 

I have seen the impact each new entry has had and, for reasons such as the console’s poor sales (PS Vita), the quality of the title itself (WipEout Fusion) or being mere compilations or updates (HD / Fury, Omega), the first games are the ones that really managed to give the saga that mythical aura, which has faded a little over time.

From this point of view, the order would change completely and would be as follows:

1. WipEout 2097 / XL. It took everything good about the original and multiplied it by 100, with one thing standing out above the rest: a soundtrack that is the best in the entire saga. And the saga has plenty of good ones. The most iconic of all.
2. WipEout 3 Special Edition. I could easily have put this title first instead of the previous one, but honestly, I think after three entries (the original, 2097 and 64) the novelty had faded a little. And that despite the fact that it was the technical and gameplay peak on PSX and my favourite of that generation. In fact, from that first batch, it is the one that holds up best today without a doubt.
3. WipEout. The original, the one that led to everything else. Although a little rough in graphics and control, it represented a disruption compared to earlier racing games, with overwhelming speed and an aggressive soundtrack as its defining traits.
4. WipEout Pure. The rebirth. After the weakest entry in the saga -Fusion, on PS2- it was time to reinvent itself. And to do it well, because otherwise it could have fallen into total irrelevance. Sony got its act together and created the chapter with the best tracks in the entire saga and delightful gameplay.
5. WipEout HD Fury. Although it was not a new entry as such, but a remaster, the truth is that the visual aspect did make quite an impact. It is one of the few PS3 games that runs at 1080p with solid 60 FPS and at scandalous speeds. And, in addition, with the option to view it in 3D, unique in the saga (I connected it to the projector instead of the TV just for this, because the effect was amazing).
6. WipEout Pulse. The confirmation, after Pure, that the saga still had a lot to offer. Better on PSP than on PS2, especially in gameplay terms, it is a delight. A fantastic game.
7. WipEout Omega Collection. Despite being, objectively, the best entry of all (which is why I placed it first in the previous ranking), the truth is that being a remaster of a remaster reduces its relevance. On top of that, the jump to 4K is not as striking as the 1080p jump was. Very good, but not especially new.
8. WipEout 64. Technically superior and even faster than the contemporary PSX and Saturn entries. However, it did not have the same impact. Maybe it wasn’t a saga for Nintendo 64, which already had the magnificent F-Zero X (and Extreme-G) as representatives of futuristic racing. Besides, those settings that look like they come from other planets made it even more outsider. That said, in its favour I’ll say it was the first one playable with an analogue stick.
9. WipEout 2048. PS Vita was not a success; quite the opposite. And that dragged down the popularity of a great entry. The last truly new one.
10. WipEout Fusion. It is surprising that, given the success the saga had on PSX, they did not take better care of it on PS2. Honestly, if it were not a WipEout, the game would be fine, even pretty good. But it is a WipEout and it didn’t feel like one.

#3. All WipEout games in chronological order 

It is ideal for checking the evolution of the series and understanding the reason for its well-earned fame.

You can try each one and, when you get tired -probably faster with 1, 2 and 64- move on to the next. 

I warn you that from 3 onwards you will probably get hooked and, since there are many games in the saga, you will have to stop at some point.

Here is a table with the year and the system it came out on, as well as the best way to play it on a big or small screen:

#	Game	Year	Systems it appeared on	How to play today on handheld	How to play today on a big screen
1	WipEout	1995	PlayStation, Sega Saturn, MS-DOS	R36S	Browser
2	WipEout 2097 / WipEout XL	1996	PlayStation, PC, Windows, Sega Saturn, Amiga, Mac OS	R36S	Browser
3	WipEout 64	1998	Nintendo 64	Browser on mobile + controller	Browser
4	WipEout 3	1999	PlayStation	R36S	Browser
5	WipEout Fusion	2002	PlayStation 2	Steam Deck emulator	PC emulator
6	WipEout Pure	2005	PSP	Steam Deck emulator	PC emulator
7	WipEout Pulse	2007	PSP, PlayStation 2	Steam Deck emulator	PC emulator
8	WipEout HD	2008	PlayStation 3	Powerful handheld PC emulator	PS3
9	WipEout 2048	2012	PlayStation Vita	PS Vita	PC emulator
10	WipEout Omega Collection	2017	PlayStation 4	N/A	PS5
11	WipEout Merge	2022	iOS, Android	iOS, Android	Mobile connected to TV

Conclusion

A saga with more than ten entries and thirty years behind it is a saga with pedigree.

In this case, moreover, it is one whose production and gameplay levels are very high, outstanding almost always and never dropping below notable, except -perhaps- for the strange exception that was Fusion.

It is still surprising today the aesthetics and soundtrack of the first versions. And how much its arcade mechanics can hook you, especially in the third part.

From Pure onwards the saga became more defined, with less evolution between each new chapter, which also became more spaced out over time, with the two latest ones being the clearest example: a remastering of ships, tracks and songs.

In this sense, it is surprising that there has not been an entry for PS5. Maybe Sony thinks the audience is not there, but I certainly think there is a solid legion of fans who would jump straight in.

In any case, with ten games behind it, there is a lot of history still to enjoy and the best thing is that you can do so from any device: mobile, PC, console or even some smart TV browsers.

In many cases, without installing anything. You only need a controller if you want to improve the experience of touch screens or a PC keyboard.

If you want to start and have no previous experience with the series, take the order I give you in the first list and play the first one you can. You will see first-hand why, beyond Mario, Zelda and Sonic, there are sagas with more than thirty years behind them that have thousands of followers.

And certainly, few or none, as iconic as WipEout.

I’ll leave you with the playlist of its complete soundtrack on YouTube:

And if you like it, download the full list of 147 songs like this.