Road Rash's 1996 PC version finally goes digital, with its soundtrack restored and a smoother ride
Road Rash's 1996 PC version is finally available as a digital release, and Electronic Arts has brought its music along for the ride. The new 30th Anniversary Edition is out on Steam, GOG and the EA App with restored video, controller support and gameplay that can run at up to 60 frames per second.
This is not a remake of the original combat racer. EA describes it as the first digital release of the 1996 PC version, with updates to help it run on current machines. Riders still race through traffic, evade police and use whatever means they can to get past opponents.
The restoration sits within a wider batch of classic EA releases, but Road Rash has its own story: a long-unavailable PC game, master video tapes recovered from a physical archive, and a soundtrack that required a fresh round of licensing.
Image: Electronic Arts
The bands are back, and their songs can play during races
The anniversary release includes a relicensed soundtrack featuring Soundgarden, Paw, Hammerbox, Monster Magnet, Swervedriver and Therapy?, according to the Steam listing. The songs can now play during racing gameplay, which EA says was a feature of the Sega CD version.
That took work behind the scenes. In a restoration account, EA senior producer Jim Vessella says the team had to secure music rights with labels and individual band members. He says the final license was arranged in September 2026, allowing the team to retain the full soundtrack it had set out to restore.
The game still centers on the motorcycle racing and close-quarters combat that defined Road Rash. The modern release gives players windowed mode and native controller support, along with cloud saves and frame rates of up to 60fps. Those are improvements around the older game rather than evidence that every scene has been rebuilt from scratch.
Image: Electronic Arts
Old tapes, sharper video
EA says master tapes for the game's full-motion video were found in its physical media vault in 2022. The team digitized and re-edited that footage for the release. An optional upscaled version is also available; the Steam listing says AI was used to enhance the resolution and frame rate of the source footage for that viewing option.
The distinction is useful if you prefer the original look: the higher-resolution video is presented as an option rather than the only way to watch the cinematics. Steam lists partial controller support and marks the game as Playable on Steam Deck. That badge is not the same as Verified, so handheld players should check Valve's compatibility details for any limitations.
In its known-issues guide, EA says some older menus may need the virtual keyboard on Steam Deck and that the game may occasionally crash after an FMV. It also says the original local-network multiplayer remains, although the old internet service has shut down.
The GOG edition is also available without DRM. As with any older title brought to new hardware, players should check the current store requirements and input support before buying.
