Hot Wheels Unleashed guide — Mastering the drift system

The tracks in Hot Wheels Unleashed mostly consist of lots of serpentine sections, featuring turns that can be both wide and smooth, and also sharp and tight. In either case, learning how to drift is one of the two real keys to victory. The next is boosting, which you can learn more about here.

Mastering the drifting mechanics of Hot Wheels Unleashed is a bit of a learning curve. However, once you get the hang of it, races will become a lot easier to win and feel intensely more satisfying to play through.

Hot Wheels Unleashed Drift tapping guide

The physics of Hot Wheels Unleashed are a bit exotic. It’s not as simplified as some other arcade racers, but it’s definitely not as realistic as more sim-oriented titles. Rather, it’s kind of an odd mixture of both. Here, the vehicles maintain a good bit of their momentum once the drift begins, which is great for speed, but that makes proper drift control and exit a little more tricky. The key to counteracting this in Hot Wheels Unleashed seems to be a technique called drift tapping. 

Drift start: Begin the drift by gently tapping the brake button (left trigger and then immediately pressing the control stick in the direction of the turn. This will cause the rear wheels of the vehicle to swing in the opposite direction of the turn. Use the control stick to nudge the front wheels along the curve; try to keep your turn shallow, but not too shallow.

Flow with the drift: By closely following the line, the vehicle will smoothly glide around the corner, even if it’s very tight. Turning too sharply into it will cause you to lose speed. Turning too wide will cause the vehicle to slam into the opposite wall, resulting in an even greater loss of speed. Adjusting your vehicle by nudging the control stick and using rapid taps of the brake will all help control the flow of the drift.

Drift exit: A successful drift not only looks cool but is also the primary way to refill your vehicle’s boost. Again, refer to the boost guide for extra details. But, the main technique is to exit the drift with a quick burst of boost. If a car is ahead of you, you’ll likely pass them down, or at least get a lot closer. Do not boost at the start of a drift or during a drift, as you’ll likely lose control.

Hot Wheels Unleashed is available via Steam and the Epic Games Store. For more tips and tricks, check out our guides and features hub.