[2] The player controls Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna as they attempt to stop Doctor Eggman from stealing the Chaos Emeralds.

They traverse side-scrolling levels at high speeds while collecting rings, defeating enemies and bosses, and finding secrets.

[3][4] Origins features two gameplay styles for each game: "classic mode" presents the games in their original 4:3 aspect ratio with no gameplay changes, while "anniversary mode" features support for widescreen displays, replaces lives with coins,[3] and allows Sonic to use the "drop dash" from Sonic Mania.

[6] An in-game museum allows players to view a collection of music, artwork, and videos, including the Sonic Mania Adventures animated shorts originally released in 2018.

Players can unlock additional museum content, such as music arrangements from later games, concept art, and cutscene animatics, by completing in-game achievements or spending coins earned through gameplay.

[20] The move received criticism on video game preservation grounds and for preventing consumers from choosing their preferred versions.

[22] On March 23, 2023, Sega announced an expanded version, Sonic Origins Plus, released on June 23, 2023, the game's first anniversary.

[23] The physical release includes a reversible cover and 20-page art book, as well as a downloadable code of the Plus upgrade pack.

"[31] Heidi Kemps (GameSpot) and Stephen Tailby (Push Square) felt that while the additions made to the compilation justified the purchase for fans, its lackluster presentation and unnecessary downloadable content hindered Origins' overall quality.

[32][36] Kemps noted that "even the recreations of the games themselves have some issues, with strange bugs that weren't present in the originals".

[33] TJ Denzer of Shacknews was more forgiving, praising the added museum, Boss Rush mode, tight controls, and remaster quality, but disliked the lack of multiple saves and console commands.

[37] Sam Machkovech of Ars Technica criticized the downloadable content, lack of a rewind or save state option, and the delisting of the existing versions from most digital stores, calling it "a tragic example of good classics ruined by greed".

[40] Regarding the game's lack of bonus content, VentureBeat's Mike Minotti wrote that "compared to, say, the 3D explorable world with its multiple media museums from Sonic Jam, it's a bit bare", but concluded that "a few oddities aside, these are fantastic remasters.