TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- Tuning Points are the permanent progression currency in Star Wars Galactic Racer — upgrades bought with them survive elimination and carry across tours.
- There are three ways to earn them: Eliminator events (+4), Standard Races (+1), and Scenarios (+10).
- Eliminators are the fastest source — look for the skull icon on your roadmap and prioritize them whenever available.
- You can only spend Tuning Points on the Vehicle Select screen after being knocked out of a Campaign tour or when starting a new one.
- To reset your upgrades, select your vehicle and hold L2 — this costs just 2 Tuning Points and refunds everything you previously invested.
- Credits from Hibi’s Shop buy temporary upgrades that reset at the end of each tour — don’t confuse them with Tuning Points.
If you’re trying to figure out why your vehicle feels underpowered mid-campaign, or why you can’t seem to find where to allocate your upgrades, Tuning Points are probably the piece of the puzzle you’re missing. The game doesn’t do the best job upfront of explaining when you can actually spend them — and that timing is everything.
This guide covers how to earn Tuning Points efficiently, when the game actually lets you use them, and how to respec your build if you change your mind down the line.
What Are Tuning Points in Star Wars Galactic Racer?
Tuning Points are the main currency for permanent vehicle progression in Star Wars Galactic Racer. Unlike Credits — which buy temporary upgrades that reset at the end of each tournament — anything you unlock using Tuning Points sticks around. Get knocked out of a tour? Your Tuning Point upgrades are still there on your next run. They’re yours to keep regardless of how a campaign ends.
This makes them significantly more valuable than Credits, and it’s exactly why knowing how to farm them fast matters so much in the mid and late campaign.
For a deeper look at what those permanent upgrades actually do to your build, check out the full vehicle stats guide and the breakdown of all abilities in Star Wars Galactic Racer.
How to Earn Tuning Points in Star Wars Galactic Racer
There are exactly three ways to earn Tuning Points. Each one has a different payout and a different risk level — knowing which to prioritize can make a real difference in how fast your build develops.
Eliminator Events — +4 Tuning Points
These are your best source and the ones you should be routing toward whenever they appear. Look for the skull icon on your roadmap — that’s the Eliminator event marker. Finish in the top three and you walk away with +4 Tuning Points.
The tradeoff is that Eliminators are harder than standard races. The competition is tougher and the margin for error is slimmer. But the reward per event is four times what a regular race gives you, which adds up fast over a full campaign. If you’re choosing between event types on the roadmap and an Eliminator is available, take it.
Standard Race Events — +1 Tuning Point
Regular races are the safer, steadier option. Finish in the top three and you earn +1 Tuning Point. The payout is low but the risk is much more manageable, especially early in the campaign when you’re still learning tracks and building confidence in your vehicle.
Think of standard races as reliable background income — they won’t accelerate your progression the way Eliminators do, but they’re consistent and they don’t carry the same pressure to perform. Every point counts, and you’ll be doing plenty of races regardless.
Scenarios — +10 Tuning Points
Scenarios are the biggest single payout in the game at +10 Tuning Points per completion. They consist of five sequential races followed by a final Eliminator round that you have to win to complete the Scenario.
The crucial thing to know here: Scenarios run outside of your main Campaign. Failing one has zero impact on your tour progress — you can retry as many times as you need without risking your campaign standing. That makes them a surprisingly low-pressure way to grind a large chunk of Tuning Points, even if they’re time-consuming.
When you do nail a Scenario, that +10 is a significant injection that can push a whole new tier of upgrades within reach.
When Can You Actually Spend Tuning Points?
This is where a lot of players get confused. You can’t spend Tuning Points whenever you feel like it — the game only opens the upgrade screen at a specific moment.
Tuning Points can only be spent on the Vehicle Select screen, and only in one of two situations:
- Right after you get knocked out of a Campaign tour
- When you’re starting a brand new Campaign tour
You won’t find an upgrade menu mid-run or tucked in the pause screen somewhere. The only window is that pre-tour moment on the Vehicle Select screen. So don’t panic if you’re sitting on a pile of Tuning Points during a run — they’re not going anywhere, and you’ll get to spend them the next time that screen comes up.
On that same screen, you also handle your vehicle customization. If you want to tweak how your ride looks while you’re there, the vehicle customization guide has everything you need. Just remember — cosmetics and performance upgrades both draw from the same Tuning Point pool, so don’t blow your points on paint before your stats are where they need to be.
How to Reset and Respec Tuning Points
Changed your mind on a build? Want to shift points off one vehicle and onto another? You can do that — and it’s cheaper than you might expect.
Here’s how to reset:
- On the Vehicle Select screen, hover over the vehicle you want to reset.
- Hold L2 (PlayStation) to trigger the reset.
- This costs 2 Tuning Points and refunds every point you had previously invested in that vehicle.
You’ll know it worked when the vehicle’s stat bars drop back to their base values and your total Tuning Point count jumps up by the amount you’d invested, minus the small 2-point fee. From there, you’re free to redistribute those points however you want — different stats on the same vehicle, or an entirely different vehicle altogether.
The reset is worth doing when you want to switch your stat focus for a specific track layout — for example, moving points into acceleration or handling if you’re heading into a tight circuit where top speed matters less. It’s a flexible system that rewards experimenting with different builds as the campaign progresses.
For more on what you can do with those upgrades after respecting, the guide to upgrading abilities and the best podracers page are worth reading together.
Tuning Points vs Credits — What’s the Difference?
It’s worth being clear on this because the two currencies serve very different purposes and a lot of newer players mix them up:
- Tuning Points — permanent. Upgrades you buy with them stay on your vehicle across tours and after elimination. They’re your long-term investment in a build.
- Credits (from Hibi’s Shop) — temporary. Parts and upgrades bought with Credits reset at the end of each tournament. They’re your in-tour tools for staying competitive, but they don’t carry forward.
Don’t treat Credits as a shortcut to permanent power — they’re situational. And don’t waste Tuning Points on cosmetics early in the campaign when your base stats still need work. That’s where most players lose their edge in the first few hours.
To keep your Credits flowing and your vehicle in fighting shape between races, take a look at the guide on how to fix faults and repair parts. And if you want to squeeze even more out of your Backer contract rewards to supplement your income, the Excellent Backer Rating guide explains exactly how to maximize that payout.
More Star Wars Galactic Racer Guides
Getting your Tuning Points optimized is one of the biggest levers you have over your campaign performance. Here are more guides to help you build a stronger setup:
- Tips and Tricks for New Players
- Podracing Guide
- All Racer Styles in Star Wars Galactic Racer
- Multiplayer Guide
- How to Unlock All Multiplayer Racers
- Star Wars Galactic Racer Review
Star Wars Galactic Racer is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Pick it up on the Steam Store, Epic Games Store, or check out the official website for all platform options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Tuning Point upgrades reset if I lose a Campaign tour?
No — that’s what makes them different from Credits. Tuning Point upgrades are permanent. Whether you finish a tour or get knocked out early, everything you unlocked with Tuning Points stays on your vehicle for every future run.
What’s the fastest way to farm Tuning Points in Star Wars Galactic Racer?
Eliminator events are your best bet for regular farming at +4 per top-three finish — look for the skull icon on your roadmap and take those events when they appear. For a bigger one-time boost, Scenarios pay out +10 Tuning Points on completion and carry no campaign penalty for failing, so you can retry them freely.
How much does it cost to reset Tuning Points?
Resetting costs 2 Tuning Points. Select your vehicle on the Vehicle Select screen and hold L2 to trigger the refund. Every point you had invested in that vehicle comes back to you, minus the 2-point reset fee, ready to be reallocated however you want.
Can I spend Tuning Points during an active Campaign run?
No. The upgrade screen is only accessible on the Vehicle Select screen — either right after you’re eliminated from a Campaign tour or when you’re setting up a new one. You can’t access it from the pause menu or between individual races during a live run.
