One of the few Sonic-based titles to be released for the Saturn, Sonic R is a racing game featuring many of the Sonic characters. There are nine characters in all, five of which are hidden and must be unlocked. In the single-player game the objective is to finish in first place on the five tracks. This will release the hidden character Dr. Robotnik. Players will then be able to race through the five tracks again, only this time there will be a Chaos Emerald and five Sonic Tokens to collect. Many of the Sonic Tokens are hidden in areas that can only be reached by going through ring doors. In order to go through a ring door you must first possess a predetermined number of gold rings.
With first place finishes and the items mentioned above, players will be able to unlock the other four characters as well as two more tracks. To help players accomplish the objectives, power-ups are located throughout the courses, including ring magnets, speed accelerators, and water shields.