Learn the few controls you need first
Keep your first corrections small. The mouse points your flight direction; strafing helps you move the line across a gate without swinging the view wildly. On a phone, landscape leaves more space around the course. Tilt Assist is optional, so learn the touch controls before adding it.
| Action | Desktop | Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Aim | Move the mouse; arrows also turn the view | Drag on the right side |
| Adjust your line | W/S forward/back, A/D strafe | Left pad for sideways and altitude movement |
| Change altitude | Shift up, Ctrl down | Move the left pad vertically |
| Boost | Hold Space | Hold Boost; drag it to aim while boosting |
| Recover / pause | R / Escape or P | Reset / Pause |
A simple drill for your first 30 seconds
- Launch the tutorial and follow the in-race coach. It runs solo so you can learn the controls before joining a room.
- Find the highlighted gate and aim for its center. Make the turn early, then reduce corrections as you approach the opening.
- After a clean pass, look for the next gate before boosting. Use the direction cue or minimap if it is outside your view.
- Try one short boost on a line you have already straightened. Release it before a turn that still feels uncertain, then repeat the same approach at the next gate.
Pass every gate before chasing a faster time
Flying outside a gate advances the helper to the next one, but the missed gate still counts. A finish with missed gates cannot earn a medal or replace your saved best. Follow the full route even when the finish is in sight.
Passing a gate while boosting gives some boost back and builds a boost chain. That makes connected, well-aimed passes valuable. Holding boost through every correction often costs more time in recovery than it saves on the straight.
If you crash or lose the line, press R to recover to your checkpoint. A crash or reset breaks the boost chain. Use recovery to learn the remaining course, then attempt a fresh run rather than repeatedly fighting the same obstacle.
Use the result to choose one thing to improve
At the finish, check missed gates and crashes before the medal target. On later runs, split deltas compare your progress with your best for that track and handling mode. Pick one awkward section, improve its entry, and keep the rest of your approach familiar.
A saved personal-best ghost replays your own run; before that, Rift Rival supplies a built-in reference. Live room drones are other connected players. All are non-colliding, so concentrate on your own gate line instead of dodging them. Your best runs and personal ghosts stay in this browser, separately for each handling mode.
Race a friend or take the timer away
For a live race, open Online, create a Private Room, and copy its invite. For an asynchronous target, use Challenge Friend after a result; that link sets up a time to beat without requiring both players online together.
Choose Rift City Freeflight when you want space to experiment. It has no finish timer: thread stunt rings, skim low, explore the city zones, and collect Rift Cells to refill boost. Its style score is a different objective from Rift Sprint’s timed gate race.
