Retro Racing vs SpecialEffect's Open Drive
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Retro Racing
Experience thrilling top-down racing with classic arcade-style gameplay. Choose your vehicle, collect power-ups, and master racing lines to outmaneuver opponents and cones at breakneck speeds. Enjoy silky smooth 60FPS action and a two-player split-screen mode.
- Choose your car
- Collect power-ups
- Master racing lines
- Avoid obstacles
- Two player split-screen
- 60FPS action
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From the same developer behind the classic Amiga racers, Nitro (Psygnosis) and ATR (Team17). Choose your car, then skid, slide, spin and drive around the track at break neck speed, collecting power-ups as you go. Master the perfect racing line, avoid other cars and cones, and speed your way to victory in this adrenaline pumping top-down racer for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Just how fast can you go? FEATURES Universal App. Awesome Gameplay. Silky Smooth 60FPS Action. Two Player Split-Screen Mode.
SpecialEffect's Open Drive
Experience driving across diverse worlds with customizable controls, including eye gaze, touch, mouse, switch, controller, or keyboard. Explore, collect orbs, and master jumps with adjustable game speed and optional auto-steer.
- Multiple input methods (eye gaze, touch, mouse, controller, keyboard)
- Four distinct driving worlds
- Collectible orbs and challenging jumps
- Adjustable game speed
- Optional 'Auto Steer' mode
- Precise and Classic control schemes
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Created to enable players to use their preferred controls on iOS, the game is designed to be played using eye gaze or one of the following input methods: touch, a mouse cursor, switch control, a game controller or a keyboard. Eye gaze requires a compatible assistive eye gaze camera or use of the iOS Eye Tracking feature. Additional in-built iOS device controls such as the Virtual Trackpad, Head Tracking and Voice Control can also be used. App opens in landscape mode only. Experience driving across the four different worlds of Stunt Zone, Meadow, Snow Land and Speed Zone. Explore freely, collect the orbs, or try to beat your high score by making and landing jumps off ramps, mounds, and mountain tops in Roadster, Trickster and Speedster. To further customise how you play, you can adjust the game speed from 90-30% , giving you more time to make turns, line up jumps or refine your drifting. In our optional ‘Auto Steer’ game mode, you control accelerate and brake only, whilst steering is done automatically with your chosen car following a driving line. Finally, some supported game inputs will allow you to play using either our ‘Precise’ or ‘Classic’ control schemes. When available, you can switch between these using the onscreen button in the top left of the gameplay screen. SUPPORTED CONTROL INPUTS: Eye Gaze: Eye gaze requires a compatible assistive 'Made For iPad' eye gaze camera or use of the iOS Eye Tracking feature. Using the recommended ‘Precise’ mode within Open Drive, you use eye movement to move the pointer and the vehicle will follow. Touch: Using the button in the top left corner to use ‘Classic’ mode, which is recommended for Touch controls, you tap once on the button in the centre at the bottom of the screen to drive forwards. Tap on it again to brake and stop the vehicle and it will automatically start turning on the spot. When it is facing the direction that you want to drive, tap on it again to drive forwards. No drags or swipes are required. Mouse Cursor: Using the ‘Precise’ mode within the Open Drive app, which is recommended for mouse control, the vehicle will follow your mouse cursor position onscreen. No drags or holds of clicks are required. Switch Control: To scan through the onscreen targets using a switch, the use of the iOS Switch Control feature and a compatible switch interface or device is required. To drive forwards, scan to and then select the onscreen control button in the centre at the bottom of the screen to stop the vehicle and it will then start automatically turning on the spot. Select the control button again to drive in the direction you are facing. Keyboard: In ‘Precise’ mode, the Arrow keys or W,A,S,D are used to steer, accelerate, brake and reverse. The R key is used to reset the vehicle when you are stuck. Space can be used to stop the vehicle without reversing. The Esc key opens the pause menu. ‘Classic’ mode can be used to reduce the required inputs during gameplay, with just the Enter key needed to turn and drive forwards once the Classic controls button is highlighted at the bottom of the screen. Game Controller: Using an iOS compatible controller, in ‘Precise’ mode, the Left Stick is used to steer the vehicle and navigate the menus. Button 1 (e.g. A button on Xbox controller) is used to accelerate and to select menu buttons. Button 2 (e.g. B button on Xbox controller) brakes/reverses the vehicle. Button 3 (e.g. X button on an Xbox controller) is used to reset the vehicle if you get stuck. Button 8 (the Menu button on Xbox controller) is used to open the in-game pause menu. ‘Classic’ mode can be used to reduce the required inputs during gameplay, with just the Button 1 needed to turn and drive once the Classic controls button is highlighted at the bottom of the screen. SpecialEffect is a registered UK charity (1121004) that helps physically disabled players to access video games. Please visit https://www.specialeffect.org.uk/ for more information.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SpecialEffect's Open Drive at Free against Retro Racing's $1.99. SpecialEffect's Open Drive also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). Retro Racing's advantage is chart position (#138 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support 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
SpecialEffect's Open Drive is free to download; Retro Racing costs $1.99 up front. Retro Racing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SpecialEffect's Open Drive asks for nothing beyond the download.
Retro Racing ships an update every 21 months, SpecialEffect's Open Drive daily. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Retro Racing | SpecialEffect's Open Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (92 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 92 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 21 months | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #138 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mr Qwak Limited | specialeffect.org.uk Ltd |
Customer experience
Retro Racing
SpecialEffect's Open Drive
Bugs and requests
Retro Racing
Reported bugs
2 issues- Acceleration issues
- Data loss/reset problems
Requested features
5 requests- More tracks and levels
- Landscape mode option
- Permanent car upgrades
- Championship/tournament modes
- Online multiplayer
SpecialEffect's Open Drive
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Retro Racing
- Car Pack$0.99
SpecialEffect's Open Drive
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Retro Racing free?
Is SpecialEffect's Open Drive free?
Do Retro Racing or SpecialEffect's Open Drive have ads?
Which is updated more often, Retro Racing or SpecialEffect's Open Drive?
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