One Strange Discovery Turned STAR WARS RACER REVENGE Into a High-Value Game
Star Wars has been part of the gaming landscape almost as long as it’s ruled movie screens. Over the years, the franchise has delivered some genuinely iconic interactive experiences.
But let’s be honest, Star Wars Racer Revenge has never been high on most fans’ all-time favorites list, and yet, more than 20 years after its original release, this obscure podracing game has suddenly become shockingly valuable for a reason nobody saw coming.
According to reporting from Polygon, physical copies of Racer Revenge are now selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay. At the time of writing, the lowest listings hover around $225, with many pushing well past $300.
That kind of price tag usually belongs to beloved classics or ultra-rare collector’s items, not a mostly forgotten follow-up to Episode I: Racer.
So, what’s the deal? It recently came to light that the physical disc version of Racer Revenge can be used as a key to jailbreaking the PlayStation 5. That’s something enthusiasts have been trying to crack ever since Sony’s console launched in 2020.
Jailbreaking a PS5 means bypassing Sony’s software restrictions, allowing users to install custom firmware, run their own programs, emulate games, and explore features the platform holder would never officially support.
Here’s where things get crazy. Racer Revenge only received a physical PlayStation 4 release in 2019 through Limited Run Games. As the company’s name suggests, once those copies sold out, there were no reprints.
Limited Run has done similar releases for all kinds of titles, including a classic Jurassic Park collection in 2023, but Racer Revenge was never positioned as some crown jewel for collectors.
The disc itself is the critical ingredient. Running the PS4 version of Racer Revenge on a PS5 reportedly allows users to inject code through the game’s menus, opening the door to the jailbreak. The technical details are dense, but the result is simple. Demand for this one specific disc exploded overnight.
It’s also worth clearing up what won’t work. The original PlayStation 2 version of the game is useless for this purpose. And if all you want to do is play some podracing, Don’t worry. Racer Revenge is readily available on the PlayStation digital store for $9.99. The inflated prices are entirely tied to hacking and the scarcity of that physical PS4 release.
If this were just about revisiting old Star Wars games, there wouldn’t be much of a story here. Titles like Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection brought classic multiplayer chaos back in 2024, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is easily playable on modern platforms like Steam. This situation with Racer Revenge is a strange one-off driven by a very specific use case.
Ironically, fans who just want fast, chaotic podracing action have better options on the horizon anyway. Alongside the recently announced Fate of the Old Republic, Lucasfilm is also developing Star Wars: Galactic Racer, slated for release in 2026.