Is OnlineCTR Free and Open Source?

Updated

Yes. OnlineCTR is free to play and its full source code is published on GitHub. You supply your own retail copy of Crash Team Racing (the 1999 PlayStation 1 release), apply the OnlineCTR patch, and play online at no cost. Because the project is open source, anyone can fork, edit, and submit fixes or improvements.

What "free" means here

OnlineCTR does not sell the game or a subscription. The site describes it as free to play, with the expectation that you already own the original CTR disc or digital copy. In practice that means:

  • No purchase from OnlineCTR — you are not buying a license, a key, or server access from the project.
  • You need your own copy of CTR — the patch modifies the original game rather than shipping the game itself.
  • Online play runs on dedicated servers — the project hosts servers in multiple countries, and the site lists them as free to join.

The site does not publish a price list or payment options, so there is nothing to buy on the site itself. Treat "free" as covering the patch and online service, not the underlying game.

What "open source" means here

The team reverse engineered Naughty Dog's original assembly and machine code back to C, then rebuilt it for online play. The full source code is available on GitHub, and the site states that anyone can fork, edit, and pull new fixes, improvements, or suggestions.

That gives you two practical options:

Goal What open source lets you do
Just play Download the patch and join a server — no coding required
Fix or extend Fork the repo, change the code, submit a pull request
Run your own setup Host locally over LAN using the same codebase

How to get playing

  1. Get the emulator — OnlineCTR runs under DuckStation, which is available on GitHub for download.
  2. Use your own retail copy of CTR — the patch is applied to your copy of the game.
  3. Apply the OnlineCTR patch — this is what enables online play and the added features.
  4. Join a server — pick from the dedicated servers (the site lists regions including USA, Brazil, Spain, and Australia) or host locally over LAN.
  5. Pick your setup — all tracks and characters are unlocked by default, and you choose your own username.

What you get beyond the original game

The project keeps the original core gameplay intact while adding:

  • 60 FPS — the game runs at 60 frames per second.
  • No desynching — networking code was written from scratch, so the desync problems common to P2P setups like Kaillera are gone.
  • Full screen and widescreen — no split-screen reduction in polygons when racing others.
  • Up to 8 players — dedicated servers support races with up to 8 players, and you can also host locally over LAN.

Where to get help

Support and coordination happen through the OnlineCTR Discord server. The site points there for finding players, organising races, and reporting issues directly to administrators. If you want to contribute code rather than just play, the GitHub repository is the place to fork and submit changes.