Comparison

Scalextric ARC vs R2

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Scalextric ARC

Control and customize your slot car races wirelessly using a smart device. Personalize race types, driver names, and car setups for a unique racing experience. Connect to a compatible powerbase to unlock advanced features and track your performance.

Highlights
  • Wireless race management via smart device
  • Customizable race types and conditions
  • Driver and car setup personalization
  • Save custom race settings
  • Share race stats on social media
  • Pit stop and fuel management
Read full description

SCALEXTRIC ARC APP MUST BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A SCALEXTRIC ARC POWERBASE Scalextric ARC (App Race Control) is a revolutionary slot car system that allows users to wirelessly create and manage races with a handheld smart device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Download the ARC app, then connect your smart device via Bluetooth to the new ARC Powerbase, unlocking unique features and control of your Scalextric races. Personalise your race by selecting features such as race type, driver names and number of laps. Customise and save your race settings and car setup, before you head out on the track... You can choose from one of our ARC sets, or alternatively connect an ARC Powerbase to any standard Scalextric set to unlock a whole new level of slot racing fun. Make it personal! Scalextric ARC allow you to customise your race for a truly personal experience Choose your race type Quick Race - Practice - Grand Prix - Endurance - Tournament - Drag Race- Arcade (ARC AIR & PRO Only) - Pace Car (ARC AIR & PRO Only) Choose your race conditions Pit stops - Fuel Usage - Tyre Wear - Number Of Laps - Driver Penalties - Qualifying - Variable Weather Conditions (ARC AIR & PRO Only) - Race Incidents (ARC AIR & PRO Only) - Start Type (ARC AIR & PRO Only) - KERS (ARC PRO Only) - Yellow Flag (ARC PRO Only) - Post your best times on social media Show your competitive edge and post your race stats onto Facebook and Twitter!

About

R2

Control your interactive R2-D2 droid from your smartphone or tablet. Steer the droid, view its camera feed, and activate unique features like its projector and pop-up lightsaber. The droid can also operate autonomously and respond to voice commands.

Highlights
  • Dual mode control (command/AI)
  • Video/still camera with face detection
  • Holographic message projector
  • Pop-up lightsaber
  • Extending arms and manipulator probes
  • Voice command response
Features
Read full description

Your R2-D2 is finally ready to interact with you! With the ‘Build R2-D2’ App you can control your interactive droid directly from your smartphone or tablet. Steer him at will, see what he sees, and activate all his special features! Features include: DUAL MODE You can switch R2-D2 to operate under command or in autonomous ‘AI’ mode, when he will behave like the wilful astromech in the movies and respond to voice commands. VIDEO/STILL CAMERA The video/still camera in R2-D2’s head allows him to take snapshots and short video clips, which can be stored on your mobile device. His programming also includes the ability to detect human faces. PROJECTOR Just like in the Star Wars movies, R2-D2 is able to display holographic messages using a projector which can beam images of Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker onto any nearby flat surface. POP-UP LIGHTSABER As in ‘Return of the Jedi’ R2-D2 has a ‘hidden extra’ – Luke Skywalker’s lighsaber, which will pop up on demand from the pneumatic ejection tube in his head. EXTENDING ARMS As in the movies, R2-D2 can extend his spacecraff linkage and control arms on comman.The flaps on his body conceal hidden droid manipulator arms and probes, which you can extend at will. ------------- Mail:  customercare@deagostini.co.uk

Screenshots

Scalextric ARC4 screens
R23 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: R2 at 3.4 against Scalextric ARC's 2.8. R2 also leads on ratings volume (363 vs 14). Scalextric ARC's advantage is review sentiment (42% vs 23%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

R2 holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: R2 has 363 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 42% of Scalextric ARC's written reviews are positive against 23% of R2's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Scalextric ARC ships an update every 3 months, R2 every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Scalextric ARC versus R2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScalextric ARCR2
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (14 ratings)3.4 (363 ratings) — better
Positive reviews41.7% of reviews — better22.6% of reviews
Number of ratings14363 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size200 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHornby Hobbies LtdDe Agostini Publishing S.p.A.

Customer experience

Scalextric ARC

All ratings14 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive41.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative50.0%

R2

All ratings326 ratings
Positive58.6%
Neutral2.5%
Negative39.0%
Written reviews168 reviews
Positive22.6%
Neutral7.1%
Negative70.2%

Bugs and requests

Scalextric ARC

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

R2

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • App crashes immediately upon opening
  • Unable to connect to R2-D2 via Bluetooth or WiFi
  • Local WiFi connection mode not working
  • Direct WiFi mode intermittently functional
  • iOS 14, 16, 17, 18, 18.1 compatibility issues
Show 12 more
  • App force closes when accessing camera or photo library
  • Settings menu appears empty or incomplete
  • Language selection not persisting (defaults to English)
  • Character encoding issues with accents and special characters
  • Camera display lag and latency
  • Head rotation juddering instead of smooth motion
  • Voice control not responding
  • Patrol mode not functioning properly
  • Photo feature crashes app
  • Configuration options cut off on screen
  • 5GHz WiFi not supported
  • App doesn't recognize R2-D2 on network despite connection

Requested features

14 requests
  • Update app for iOS 16, 17, 18, and 18.1 compatibility
  • Diagnostic feature to check R2-D2 problems
  • Volume control option
  • Programming/automation functionality
  • Controller support (PS2/gamepad)
Show 9 more
  • Remote access outside local network
  • Smoother head and body movement controls
  • Recording and projection feature
  • Desktop application for Mac and Windows
  • Improved voice recognition
  • Better patrol mode with obstacle detection
  • Comprehensive user manual in app
  • Support for Little Bits Droid Inventor Kit
  • Additional language support (German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Polish, French, Japanese)

In-app purchases

None

Scalextric ARC

No in-app purchases

None

R2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Scalextric ARC free?
Scalextric ARC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is R2 free?
R2 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Scalextric ARC or R2?
R2 is rated higher. Scalextric ARC averages 2.8 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while R2 averages 3.4 from 363 ratings.
Do Scalextric ARC or R2 have ads?
Neither Scalextric ARC nor R2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Scalextric ARC or R2?
Scalextric ARC ships an update every 3 months, and R2 every 4 months. Most recently, Scalextric ARC was updated on September 18, 2026 and R2 on September 10, 2026.

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