As with previous titles in the franchise, Rush 2049 features a stunt mode in which the player scores points for complex mid-air maneuvers and successful landings.

Various car types and upgrades are unlockable throughout the game, though cheat codes offer instant achievement of these elements.

The single-player race mode encourages exploration of high-difficulty off-track shortcuts, creating a risk and reward structure to the gameplay.

The arcade version was an eight-player game (but more commonly bought in pairs), a sit-down machine with force feedback steering wheels, gear shifts, and three pedals (gas, brake, and clutch).

A telephone-like keypad to the right of the steering wheel gave players the option of choosing a PIN and allowed them to earn points to unlock new cars and tracks.

[7][8][1] This version features a roster of five playable tracks and eight different cars, with more unlocked as the player progresses through the game.

In 2000, Midway released an upgraded version, Tournament Edition, that fixed bugs and added two new tracks, four cars, and new shortcuts.

[9] In 2003, Betson Enterprises released an upgrade, called San Francisco Rush 2049 Special Edition, which brought back the tracks, cars, and shortcuts from Tournament Edition but removed online play due to Midway Tournament Network being shut down.

The arcade version did not feature the stunt wing ability, which allowed players to perform maneuvers in the air whilst gliding.