7 Time-Shaving Tricks for PS VR Racer Sprint Vector

Hey everyone! I’m Lauren Irvine, the community manager at Survios. Ever since Sprint Vector launched in February, I spend time every day on our official Discord server engaging with PS VR players both new and experienced as they share their tips for maximizing speed and efficiency.

And with a new content update coming on May 30, I thought this was a great opportunity to poll both our players and the devs on their recommended methods for attaining the fastest times in Sprint Vector. Plus, with enough practice, you’ll be ready to compete for the grand prize in Mr. E’s Master League, a community speedrunning tournament taking place later this summer!

Sprint Vector is a VR-exclusive, eight-player racing game featuring smooth, innovative Fluid Locomotion Technology that lets you run, jump, climb, and fly at breakneck speeds. Taking place within a wild game show masterminded by charismatic/enigmatic robo-host Mr. Entertainment, Sprint Vector drops its intrepid contestants onto crazy intergalactic courses that defy time, space, and sometimes even gravity.

Check out our top seven time-shaving Sprint Vector tips from the devs and players below:

1) Do the tutorials, then practice in the Skate Park.

“Play the tutorials!” ~ Andrew Abedian (Lead Designer), Kris Gruchalla (QA Manager), and literally all the Vectorheads

As if three of Sprint Vector’s key devs aren’t enough, this is also the top tip echoed by the Vectorheads, winners of Sprint Vector community challenge. Learn and practice all the core gameplay mechanics in a straightforward, pressure-free environment, quickly identify your weak points, and use the Skate Park as a giant practice space to hammer in that muscle memory and perfect jumping, drifting, air braking, edge boosting, and more.

2) Find your stride.

“Proper stride form is probably the most basic mistake I see people make.” ~ MasterShadow (Vectorhead and E3 2017 Sprint Vector tournament runner-up)

“The reality of running in Sprint Vector is that it takes some effort to get to maximum speed, but once you’re there it takes much less effort to maintain it.” ~ Andrew

The swinging-arm motion of Sprint Vector is intuitive enough, but the key to success is finding your personal rhythm where you attain maximum velocity with minimal effort. Keep your arms relaxed, use a natural swing, and learn how a good stride feels. When the headset goes on, a lot of players start making frantic short strides, holding their arms in front of their torsos, or even dog-paddling—all of which will rapidly wipe you out before the second checkpoint. As QA Manager Kris points out, “If you watch our best game testers, they look almost lazy when they play Sprint Vector!”

3) Learn the maps and talk to other players.

“Go through the maps slowly and look for secret paths.” ~ Katiedead, Vectorhead

As with any racing game, finding your optimal route is the first step to domination. There’s already plenty of videos across YouTube and Twitch showcasing each map’s secret spots, but you won’t know them until you play them! Also, the Sprint Vector community is incredibly welcoming; they’re the very definition of “friendly competition.” The Vectorheads from all platforms converge on the official Survios Discord to discuss techniques, share videos of their runs, and be on hand to help with tricky maneuvers, hidden shortcuts, and more, so find them, friend them, play with them, and learn from them!

4) Jumping can help you gain the upper hand.

“Jump into boosts instead of running into them!” ~ Stoaty, Vectorhead

In Sprint Vector, jumping is a key mechanic to master: correctly gauging the timing and distance of a jump can get you over tons of obstacles, circumvent sketchy terrain, and even allow for a quick course correct. It also makes speed boosts, those floating tunnels of blue arrows, even more powerful. Instead of just running through them, jump into them to turn that tiny touch of speed into a rocket launch.

5) Impulse Shot is your new favorite power-up.

“One of the biggest tricks new players don’t know is proper use of the Impulse Shot on yourself when you’re hitting a good launch spot.” ~ skadooshh, Vectorhead

Impulse Shot is already a player favorite because of its ability to knock back other players. But, like the old-school gaming tradition of rocket jumping, the Impulse Shot can also be used on yourself. With the right timing and execution, firing your Impulse Shot at your feet has the potential to massively propel you forwards.

6) Grip streams have no speed limit.

“Throw yourself along grip streams for the most momentum.” ~ Katiedead, Vectorhead (also the player featured in the GIF!)

This is a little-known fact of Sprint Vector: aside from an Overdrive powerup, the only other way to break the set speed barrier is on gripstreams. These translucent green paths are found on most race maps, often in unnerving locations: swooping sharply downward toward lava, suspended over vats of toxic waste, and even wrapped around a tower floating in space.

Luckily, the Skate Park has tons of gripstreams for practicing this speed-maximizing technique. Jump or fly into a gripstream, then rapidly fling yourself along its length (think monkey bars) and watch your speedometer hit critical. Use this momentum to your advantage as you reach the gripstream’s end to get that extra edge over the competition.

7) Use air braking for maximum control.

“Air braking is definitely a pro-player move. The combo of run/jump/fly/jump/fly/brake is very important at high-level play.” ~ Andrew

Coming down from a flying stretch can seem floaty and out of control–and it’s where air braking serves an important function, cutting out excess airtime so you can get back up to speed. While you’ve got some air, keep an eye out below for shortcuts, gripstreams, ramps, and alternate paths. Once you spot what you want to hit, slam your brakes to rapidly descend and hit the ground running.

Did these seven tips help level up your racing game? Or if you feel we missed some crucial tips and tricks here, we’d love to know! Don’t forget to follow Survios on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for the latest news about Sprint Vector and our other PS VR titles!

(Obligatory disclaimer: Sprint Vector is a very physically active VR experience. Please be sure to pace yourself, take breaks, and hydrate during your play sessions—know your personal limits and don’t push yourself beyond them!)