Introduction
Prepare to drop in once more – Tony Hawk is back. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 remakes launched on July 11, 2025 for PC (Steam, Battle.net, Microsoft Store) and all major consoles. Whether you grew up mastering combo grinds with the Birdman himself or you’re a newcomer eager to learn the ollie, the excitement is real: “the shred’s not dead.” This guide covers everything PC players need: system requirements and upgrade advice, plus our pick of bundles and pre-built rigs to get you skating smoothly.
We’ll dive into what’s new versus what’s pure nostalgia, outline pros & cons, summarize critic scores, and give detailed PC specs and upgrade tips. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to crank grab your hardware into shape – from RAM and SSD upgrades to full modern builds – so you can hit every trick, grind, and sick high score with no technical bailouts.
What’s New & What’s Nostalgic
Visual & Performance Enhancements
The parks of THPS 3 and 4 have been rebuilt with modern graphics and performance. Iron Galaxy promises each level “authentically remade in jaw-dropping 4K resolution”. On PC this translates to crisp textures, improved lighting, and uncapped framerates with support for G-Sync and FreeSync monitors. In practice even mid-range PCs deliver silky-smooth skate sessions at 1080p or 1440p – and if you have a beefy rig, max out 4K. The result is both familiar and fresh: classic maps like Skate Heaven and Venice Beach look sharper than ever, while new areas (e.g. the Waterpark with grindable slides) showcase the engine’s boost. Expect fast load times, stable frame pacing, and all the skater sense of the originals, but now in full HD or 4K glory.
Core Gameplay & Mechanics
Nothing fundamental has changed in the controls – and that’s a feature. THPS 3 + 4 plays like the arcade-style skate sim fans love: you’ll execute ollies, kickflips, manuals, grinds, and special tricks just like before. In fact, the developers explicitly “kept the same smooth handling and simple-to-learn controls from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2”. That means the feel is instantly familiar if you’ve played any of the classic games. You’ll still link tricks together in long combos (leveraging manuals and reverts) to rack up high scores. Special moves and boardspinning tricks behave just as in the past, but with crisper responsiveness thanks to modern physics and animation. Newcomers can jump into practice mode (there’s even an in-game tutorial led by Tony Hawk) to learn the basics, while vets will appreciate that the quirky timing and momentum of kickflip – 360 flip – revert – grind – 900 still works exactly like they remember. In short, gameplay is a seamless blend of vintage Tony Hawk and modern polish.
Career Mode & Goal Structure
The all-new Career Mode bundles the old tour content into a streamlined experience. You’ll skate through a two-tier tour mode, tackling goals one park at a time, then unlock new stages and equipment as you earn cash. Every level runs on a tight 2-minute timer (with optional higher limits if you want longer sessions), which is a departure from the free-roam style THPS4 original. This means some of the big-picture freedom is gone – for example, in the original THPS4 you could skate around and trigger goals at will. In this remake “they basically stripped [that] freedom and implemented the two minute timeframe to every level,” meaning goals have been tweaked or shortened to fit. As PC Gamer notes, this change “has changed a few of the goals” in classic THPS4 stages. In practice you’ll still find the usual challenges – score runs, grind objectives, find the hidden tape or big kitty, etc. – but now each park is a focused 2-minute drill rather than a sandbox. Overall it’s streamlined: a fast, goal-driven career reminiscent of THPS3’s format. (Veterans may notice some of THPS4’s gates and zoo missions are altered or missing, but everything essential is here.)
Content, Extras & Features
THPS 3 + 4 packs in all the classic content plus extras. Every original park from both games has returned, meticulously rebuilt, and several brand-new parks are added (the aforementioned Waterpark, etc.). The skater roster includes the familiar legends and a few newcomers. Best of all, you can create your own pro skater – choose name, hometown, gear and appearance with deep customization – plus build your own skate park (Create-a-Park) and even share custom goals. There’s a whopping New Game+ mode so you can “retain the stats” from your first playthrough and re-tackle every level harder. Online, cross-platform multiplayer lets up to eight skaters shred together in Free Skate or head-to-head modes. And to get newbies started, Tony Hawk himself guides you through a tutorial covering all the essential tricks (Ollie, kickflips, grinds, reverts, manuals, special tricks) while pumping out tracks from the original soundtrack and new additions. In short, the mix of classic songs, authentic skater roster, expanded Create modes, and even a built-in trick trainer makes this as feature-rich as a Tony Hawk game can be in 2025.
Pros & Cons: Our Take
| Pros |
Cons |
| • Nostalgic yet modern – Classic parks rebuilt in high-resolution (4K) with smooth, arcade-style skating. |
• Streamlined THPS4 – Free-roam missions are gone. Every run is timed now, which alters some original goals and flow. |
| • Fast, fun gameplay – The same addictive combo system and controls as the originals (even THPS3’s revert/combo mechanic). Tutorial and New Game+ add extra play. |
• Mixed soundtrack – Fans will notice a few missing classic songs. Nintendo Life noted being “a little disappointed at the lack of classic music tracks”. |
| • Multiplayer & extras – Up to 8-player crossplay online matches, robust Create-A-Skater/Park tools, and a wealth of challenges (collectibles, score goals, hidden easter eggs). |
• THPS4 feels tacked-on – Some goals in THPS4 levels were reworked or dropped entirely to fit the format. Purists might grumble that it feels like a map pack for THPS3. |
| • Broad appeal – Accessible to new players (with assists and custom speed/mods) but still deep for veterans chasing S-K-A-T-E combos and world record scores. |
• Not groundbreaking – No entirely new modes or radical gameplay changes. It’s a faithful remake rather than a reinvention. |
Critic Reception
Critics generally love THPS 3 + 4. It holds an 84/100 average on OpenCritic (in the 93rd percentile of games) and scores in the upper 80s on Metacritic. Reviews highlight the “properly glorious” recreation of two classics and the pure fun factor. Nintendo Life (8/10) calls it “another welcome return to the franchise’s glory days”, injecting a “hefty dose of nostalgia” with revamped visuals. Push Square (8/10) notes it’s “another fantastic skateboarding title” and urges fans that “fans of the series shouldn’t skip it”. PC Gamer enthuses that “the remaster of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 is a fantastic recreation of the original”. Even conservative scorers like GameSpot (8/10) and IGN (8/10) agree it’s marvellous fun, albeit with the caveat that some changes (mainly to THPS4) are divisive. Shacknews (9/10) crowns it “a faithful recreation of two pivotal entries” in the series.
In short, reviewers say THPS 3+4 is made for the fans – and even newcomers who want classic arcade skate action. If you grew up on THPS, critics say you’ll be in heaven replaying your favorite runs. As one review puts it, “if you’re looking to inject a hefty dose of nostalgia… this should prove a fine addition”. Many add that anyone who loved the earlier Tony Hawk remasters (1+2) will find more of the same slick action here.
PC Requirements
To run THPS 3 + 4 on PC, here’s what you need:
| Requirement |
Minimum |
Recommended |
| OS |
Windows 10 64-bit |
Windows 10 64-bit |
| CPU |
AMD FX 6300
Intel Core i3-4340 |
AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
Intel Core i5-2500K |
| Memory |
8 GB RAM |
12 GB RAM |
| Graphics |
AMD HD 7950
NVIDIA GTX 660 |
AMD Radeon R9 390
NVIDIA GTX 970 |
| DirectX |
Version 11 |
Version 11 |
| Additional Notes |
21:9 widescreen support
Remappable controls
Uncapped frame-rate
G-Sync / FreeSync support |
21:9 widescreen support
Remappable controls
Uncapped frame-rate
G-Sync / FreeSync support |
Upgrade Advice: What You Might Need
OS: Make the Switch Before You Bail
You’ll need at least Windows 10 to play — a far cry from the original games, which ran just fine on Windows 98 (wild, right?). We recommend making the jump to Windows 11, especially since official support for Windows 10 is winding down soon.
Good news though — upgrading from Windows 10 to 11 is free. And if you’re still on an older version or building fresh, we’ve got Windows 11 licences available to buy right on our site. Stay current and keep those drivers fresh — no one wants to crash on the OS.
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