It is known for its pioneering hardware and graphics, nonlinear gameplay, a selectable soundtrack with music composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi, and the hydraulic motion simulator deluxe arcade cabinet.

Out Run is a pseudo-3D driving video game in which the player controls a Ferrari Testarossa convertible from a third-person rear perspective.

[5] The camera is placed near the ground, simulating a Ferrari driver's position and limiting the player's view into the distance.

The road curves, crests, and dips,[3] which increases the challenge by obscuring upcoming obstacles such as traffic that the player must avoid.

[8] Near the end of each stage, the track forks to give the player a choice of routes leading to five final destinations.

[9] The destinations represent different difficulty levels and each conclude with their own ending scene, among them the Ferrari breaking down or being presented a trophy.

[11][12] He disliked racing games where cars exploded on impact, and wanted gamers to enjoy the experience of driving and to feel "superior".

According to Suzuki's boss, Youji Ishii, Sega president Hayao Nakayama believed the US was too unsafe, and suggested Europe as a safer option.

[12] This tour included Frankfurt, Monaco, Rome,[11][12] the Swiss Alps, the French Riviera, Florence,[10] and Milan.

[13] While in Monaco, Suzuki was inspired to use the Ferrari Testarossa as the playable car in the game, so when he returned to Japan he arranged for his team to find and photograph one.

As a result, Suzuki did most of the programming and planning himself, spending extra hours at the studio to complete development of the game within ten months.

[11] He believed that the most difficult part of developing the game was to make it as fun as possible, which he achieved by emphasizing the design elements of wide roads, buildings, and a radio with soundtrack selection.

[10] Four cabinet designs were released, all of which are equipped with a steering wheel, a stick shift, and acceleration and brake pedals.

The other two models are sit-down motion simulator cabinets that resemble the in-game car and use a drive motor to move the main cabinet—turning and shaking according to the onscreen action.

[16] The game achieves its 3D effects using a sprite-scaling technique called Super Scaler technology, as used one year earlier in Hang-On.

[15] Released in September 1986,[11] Out Run's fast sprite-scaling and 3D motion provide a smoother experience than other contemporary arcade games.

Out Run was ported to the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum home computers for the European market.

[88][89] In 2020, Out Run became the second best-selling Sega Ages title in overseas markets outside of Japan (after Sonic the Hedgehog), especially in Europe.

[3][6] Top Score newsletter called it "the most enjoyable" and "realistic driving video game ever created" while praising its innovative simulator cabinet, detailed visuals and stereo soundtrack.

[92] Gary Penn, writing for Crash called the game "highly polished" and praised the attention to detail.

[9] In Your Sinclair, Peter Shaw praised its realism and described it as "the most frighteningly fast road race game" he had played.

Computer and Video Games praised the Master System release, with the writers concluding that it had "all the thrill power of the arcade version".

The Atari ST version (1988) was described by Computer and Video Games as "far from perfect", but that it came closer to the arcade original than the other ports.

According to Luke Reilly, traces of Out Run DNA can be found in series like Test Drive, Need for Speed, Project Gotham Racing and Burnout as well as modern racers like the Forza Horizon games and DriveClub.