How To Drift in Need For Speed Heat

Here’s how to master cornering with a little guidance.

This Friday, Need For Speed comes roaring back to the scene with Heat, a game that focuses more on street racing and police evasion, rather than the story-based content we previously saw in Need For Speed: Payback. For some, it’ll be a welcome return to form, giving them opportunities galore to get their high-speed antics are.

And to keep that speed up, you’re going to need to learn how to drift. This technique enables you to accelerate around tight corners without hitting anything, provided you can do it right. This system takes a little bit of practice, but we’ve got the steps needed that will help you master drifting like a real racer.

How To Drift in Need For Speed Heat

Is Your Car Drift Built?

First up, the drift system you use depends on what you’re driving. There are cars in Need For Speed Heat that are custom built with drifting in mind. You’ll be able to see this pretty evidently before events, so here’s what to do when you have one of these cars.

Make sure you get yourself up to a good, proper speed. Then, once you do, tap on the brakes a little bit. Don’t jam on them, or you’ll come to a full halt. Instead, tap a little until you start to see your car veer into the drift. Once you do that, take over the steering and lean into the drift. Once that’s done, center out and get back on the road.

And For the Rest of the Rides

Now, let’s say you’re using a general car. There is another drifting system, though it may take a little more time to master as it involves your emergency brake.

You can activate this by either pressing the square or X button, depending on if you’re playing the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One version. (PC function may vary.) But, like the regular brakes, you don’t want to go all the way down, or you’ll lose every bit of speed you mustered. Instead, try tapping it, to the point that you notice your car sliding a slight bit. Then set up the steering, so you lean into the drift, and you should be good to go.

But Here’s the Surefire Solution

You’ll notice that the previous methods run a little bit of risk, due to the acceleration you could lose from either tapping the regular brake or the emergency brake. But there’s a way to drift that doesn’t involve either of these.

It involves the acceleration trigger. You need to hit the R2 button on PlayStation 4 or RT trigger on Xbox One. (On PC, it may vary depending on controller type.)

All you need to do is release the accelerator as you make your way to the corner. After you lean into it, go ahead and press it back in. You’ll get back up to speed and have the drift going. You’ll need to even out after you get through the turn.

You can master all of these techniques with practice, so feel free to try them all out and see what works for you. But remember, keep the pedal to the metal, or the cops might get you!

Need For Speed Heat releases on Nov. 8 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.