Rival Stars Horse Racing is Coming to PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch
Disclaimer: I do consultation work for PikPok, the developer of this game.
Rival Stars Horse Racing is coming to consoles! In a press release today, developer and publisher PikPok announces that their game will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox One on April 28, with a Nintendo Switch version set to be coming soon.
A new trailer showcases the release date and features:
Rival Stars vs. Phar Lap?
Attentive readers and community members will be aware that there has already been a certain horse racing game made by PikPok available on some of these consoles. Phar Lap Horse Racing Challenge is/was a proto-Rival Stars, published in 2019 by PikPok’s then-partner TruBlu Entertainment. Check out my 2024 interview with PikPok CEO Mario Wynands for more insight on how that situation came to be – in short, PikPok and TruBlu have parted ways in the meantime, leaving Phar Lap to never receive any of the various improvements and additions that Rival Stars has gotten on mobile and PC over the years.
With the console release of Rival Stars Horse Racing, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch players are finally getting the complete Rival Stars experience, with all the many updates that the game has received since 2019, including additional game modes, story content, various horse breeds and more.
Equestrian Life Sim
A detail I find particularly interesting about this announcement is that the press release calls Rival Stars an “equestrian lifestyle sim”, and the trailer’s description labels it the “ultimate racing and riding experience”. I find that particularly interesting because it reflects the target market shift that Rival Stars Horse Racing has undergone since its initial launch: from appealing to a predominantly male sports fan audience to a more diverse mixture of horse lovers, equestrians and roleplayers. This too, we’ve talked about in the 2024 interview, but I find it quite cool to see how thoroughly PikPok embraces the equestrian audience with their marketing for the console version.
The Press Release goes on to share a few stats
The game has over 4,600 reviews on Steam with a 92% positive rating following its PC
release, and more than 50 million downloads across mobile and PC VR. Now this immersive
horse racing simulator is making the jump to console, with stunning horses, an in-depth
genetic breeding system and, of course, plenty of racing to get players on the edge of their
saddles. Rival Stars Horse Racing is the perfect game for any equestrian fanatics looking to
become legends.
and further emphasizes the game’s appeal to a horse loving audience by elaborating on features, game modes and authenticity:
Players will be given the keys to a rundown ranch to make their own and tasked with
restoring their family’s racing legacy. Supported by a beloved cast, they’ll raise adorable
foals before entering flat races, Steeplechase, Show Jumping, and Cross Country events,
turning their nurtured foals into their very own champions!
That’s not all: rather than, if players don’t fancy a day at the races, they can simply relax with
their horse in a stunning free roam environment. Better yet, there’s also the chance to
capture some snaps with their faithful stead in photo mode, making memories picture
perfect.
Rival Stars Horse Racing features animations captured with real-life motion capture,
meaning these realistic race horses are the closest players can get to actually jumping in the
saddle themselves.
Since I do consulting for PikPok nowadays, I won’t be writing a review for the console version. I maintain that the game has more than earned its spot on all of my Best-of lists though, and I have no doubt that this release will fill a gaping hole in the market where high quality equestrian sport games on consoles are concerned.
Press Kit screenshots show that much like the PC version, Rival Stars on console will only include a single earnable in-game currency…
…and include features such as the Horse Creator that aren’t available in the mobile version.