Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown – Yours For “Just” $199.90

Collector’s Edition hits wallets at $199.90, or a staggering $275 USD equivalent in Europe. Even at that price, you won’t get early access.

The latest entry in the Test Drive Unlimited series, Solar Crown, is gearing up for release. Although the official trailer (which includes plenty of drifting action) got us excited about what the game has in store, the “Collector’s Edition” price tag is quite rightly raising eyebrows.

American fans interested in the game’s Collector Edition need to spend $199.90, while European fans need to fork out €249.90 EUR. At today’s exchange rate, that’s $275.74 USD.

Believe it or not, despite having only 2,000 copies, they don’t appear to be flying off the shelves.

What’s In The Collector’s Edition Box?

Amusingly, the “Collector’s Box Only” costs just $179.90 (or €199.90 in Europe, equivalent to $220.44 USD). If you’re wondering why it’s cheaper, you may want to sit down for this one… It’s because the game isn’t included in the price.

So, since you actually get the game for the additional twenty bucks, here’s what’s in the box of the PC, Xbox, or PS5 version for $199.90, or €249.90, once you cut through the marketing fluff.

Physical Items

• Game disc in a Premium metal case
• Miniature Porsche 918 Spyder (1:36 scale) with display frame
• Numbered Solar Club Platinum Member card (limited to 2,000)
• Game map
• 16-page concept art guide
• Solar Crown keychain
• Ceramic casino token
• Luxury cufflinks in a case
• Solar Crown cap
• Collector’s box

Digital Content

• Six exclusive cars:
  • Jaguar F-Type SVR Coupe (Unlocks at Level 12)
  • Audi R8 Spyder V10 RWS (Unlocks at Level 20)
  • Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR (Unlocks at Level 12)
  • Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (Unlocks at Level 20)
  • Maserati MC20 (Unlocks at Level 20)
  • Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE (Unlocks at Level 20)
• Three avatar outfits
• Three car customization sticker packs
• VIP Solar Pass with 20 levels unlocked

Our Take On The Collector’s Edition

Perhaps the most disappointing part of this whole package is the fact that even if you do go all out for the $199.90 (or €249.90 EUR) Collector’s Edition, you don’t even receive the early access to VIP Beta or the 7-day early access to the game that you get with the $79.99 Gold Edition.

That means the only way to own the Collector’s Edition and have the early access benefits is to buy the “Collector’s Box” and the “Gold Edition” game separately. The total price? A mind-blowing $279.89.

While the model and the concept art book might appeal to some, other items, such as the cufflinks, poker chip, and keyring, seem a little gimmicky. I mean, how often will you really wear Solar Crown cufflinks?

Further cause for concern is the lack of current information about the game’s DLC structure. It’ll suck if you spend crazy money and then need to buy additional DLC packs further down the line.

In addition, most of the exclusive cars (except the Maserati MC20 and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE) can be purchased with the other significantly cheaper game versions, which we discuss below.

How Much Are The Other Versions?

At this point, we wouldn’t blame you for considering alternative options if you’re keen on getting the game. Thankfully, these pricing structures make much more sense if you’re not too desperate for the physical products included in the Collector’s Edition.

For console gamers, the standard version is available on Amazon for just $59.99 for both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.

PC gamers can order via Steam, where the standard pre-purchase game is just $49.99.

However, you can also upgrade to the following versions:

Silver Sharps Edition – $69.99

• Base game: Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
• Pre-order bonus: Ford GT 2006 (Unlocks at Level 20)
• Silver Sharp Pack, including:
  • Jaguar F-Type SVR Coupe (Unlocks at Level 12)
  • Audi R8 Spyder V10 RWS (Unlocks at Level 20)
  • Baron of the Sharps avatar outfit
  • Sharps sticker pack for car customization
• Solar Pass (access to the season’s premium rewards)
• 48-hour early access to the game

Silver Streets Edition – $69.99

• Base game: Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
• Pre-order bonus: Ford GT 2006 (Unlocks at Level 20)
• Silver Street Pack, including:
  • Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR (Unlocks at Level 12)
  • Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (Unlocks at Level 20)
• Lord of the Streets avatar outfit
• Streets sticker pack for car customization
• Solar Pass (access to the season’s premium rewards)
• 48-hour early access to the game

Gold Edition – $79.99

• Base game: Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
• Pre-order bonus: Ford GT 2006 (Unlocks at Level 20)
• Silver Sharp Pack (Details)
• Silver Street Pack (Details)
• DLC Solar Content Pack
• VIP Solar Pass
• Access to VIP Beta (August 13-18, 2024)
• 7-day early access to the game (starts September 5, 2024)

We’d Buy These Versions Instead

We’d stick to the standard game for $49.99 or consider one of the Silver Editions if the additional features are worthwhile.

However, if you’re keen on early access and think you’ll use the additional content, the Gold Edition will be worth the extra ten bucks.

As for the Collector’s Edition. If you can’t already tell – it’s a hard pass from us (unless you’re keen on those cufflinks!)

Despite the marketing greed we’ve seen here, we’re still hyped for the game and can’t wait to start shredding tires on the streets of Hong Kong. Stay tuned, as we’ll get our hands on one of the fairly-priced packages to deliver plenty more content shortly!

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