One patch can now support multiple racers
Crash Team Racing: High Octane version 1.4.1 adds multi-character mod support to its custom character importer. The feature is designed for patches that change several racers at once.
When a patch replaces multiple racers, the importer automatically creates one .ctrr file for every changed character. It also adds the original character’s name to the requested output filename, producing distinct files such as Crash and Cortex variants instead of leaving several generated mods with ambiguous names.
This makes larger character projects easier to organize. A multi-racer patch can be converted in one operation, while the resulting files can be managed individually in the game’s custom character mods folder.
What the update means for custom character users
The importer remains part of High Octane’s custom character workflow. Custom character patches use the .xdelta format and are converted into .ctrr files that the game can load as mods. The documented process supports both PSVita and Windows installations, with generated files placed in the customracers folder for the relevant platform.
The new feature is particularly useful for character packs or patches built around several original racers. Automatic per-character filenames help show which replacement each file represents, making it simpler to manage individual entries after conversion.
High Octane also supports optional animation handling for static custom models. Its importer can retarget and bake the replaced character’s animations onto a static model when the template-animations option is used; models that already include animations are not overwritten. That existing capability now sits alongside the broader multi-character import support.
A multi-platform Crash Team Racing sourceport
Crash Team Racing: High Octane is a sourceport of Crash Team Racing for PSVita, Windows and web browsers. It is based on the ctr-native project and adds enhancements beyond the original game, including true widescreen presentation, a higher internal renderer resolution, 60 frames-per-second support and platform-specific anti-aliasing options.
The project also includes expanded game modes and tools. Players can use customizable cups, mirror tracks, boss fights on additional tracks, reverse track variants, Relic Race outside Adventure mode, ghost replays with input overlays and personal-best tracking. A stats viewer is available on the character selection screen, while online leaderboards cover Time Trials and Relic Races.
Local multiplayer support differs by platform. Windows and PlayStation TV users, along with PSVita systems using MiniVitaTV, can use local split-screen for up to four players. PSVita also has documented AdHoc support for two systems without a router. The Windows build includes features such as borderless fullscreen mode, FXAA and Discord Rich Presence.
Included changes from the preceding release
Version 1.4.1 is a focused importer update. The previous version, 1.4, introduced the original custom character support and added an option to use custom characters for enemy AI in Arcade’s Single and Cup modes. It also delivered controls rebinding, personal-best displays, improved 60 FPS behavior, additional ghost features and platform-specific fixes.
The earlier release added the Alternative Tiger Temple track to the Time Trial and Relic Race pool, enabled local saving and challenging of leaderboard ghosts, and improved several interface and controller behaviors. Those features remain part of the current project; 1.4.1 specifically extends the way custom character content can be prepared for use.
The new release is tagged v.1.4.1 and includes Windows x64 and PSVita package assets. The project also maintains a browser version, although the supplied release assets are the Windows archive and PSVita VPK.
Using the generated character files
For PSVita, the project documents installing the VPK and placing the generated .ctrr files in ux0:data/ctr/mods/customracers. On Windows, the files go in the mods/customracers folder beside the High Octane executable. The game also requires a US Crash Team Racing PlayStation disc image, named ctr-u.bin and placed in the documented assets location for the platform.
The importer’s documented setup uses Python 3.11 or newer, the project’s import_custom_racer.py script and xdelta3. These are requirements for converting custom character patches, not for simply running an already prepared game build. Multi-character patches should result in several .ctrr files, each retaining the original racer name in its generated filename.
The project continues to list one known PSVita issue: the demo cutscene can become slightly desynchronized during Oxide’s speech. No other changes are identified in the 1.4.1 release note beyond the multi-character importer addition.
