Start playing in four steps
Need for Speed Underground 2, usually shortened to NFSU2, is the 2004 street racing game with an open city, Quick Race, and a Career mode built around car tuning. This page runs the English single player game inside a normal browser tab, free and without an account.
- Open this page in Chrome or Edge on a computer.
- Press Play. The game window shows what it is doing while the first game files load.
- Click inside the game once so it receives your keyboard, then press Enter at the title screen to reach the main menu.
- Pick Quick Race for a single event, or start Career. Use Fullscreen under the window for a bigger picture, and Exit game when you are done so the game can finish saving.
Cheats, the car list and the save steps have their own pages: see the NFSU2 cheats list, the NFSU2 car list, and how to play NFSU2 for controls and saves.
NFSU2 browser controls
The arrow keys move through the menus, and in a race Up is the gas pedal. The game's own options menu shows the full key list for steering, braking, nitrous and handbrake, and it is the right place to check or change them.
On a touch screen the game shows its own on-screen controls during a race, and this page adds arrow, OK and Back buttons under the window for the menus. Touch play is still being tested, so treat it as experimental.
NFSU2 game modes: Quick Race and Career
Quick Race lets you pick a car, a track and an event type and start straight away, which is the fastest way to check that the game runs well on your computer. Career follows the original story: you earn money, buy cars, fit performance and visual parts, and race for sponsors around the city.
The original NFSU2 offers Circuit and Sprint races, Street X, Drag and Drift events. Circuit is several laps of a closed course, Sprint runs from point A to point B, Street X is a tight course that rewards clean cornering, Drag is a straight-line launch and gear race, and Drift scores you for holding slides. We have not tried every event type in the browser version, so start with Quick Race and see what the game offers you.
NFSU2 download size and loading
There is nothing to download or install. In our test, getting from the Play button to a Quick Race loaded about 22 MB, and the first start is the slowest. If your connection drops, reload the page and press Play again.
How NFSU2 saves work
Your saves live in your browser, on your own computer, and nothing is uploaded to us. The first time you press Enter at the title screen, the game asks whether to create a new profile: say yes and give it a name. A different browser, a different computer or a cleared browser profile starts with no saves. Under the game window, Export saves writes your saves to a file and Import saves puts them back; exit the game first, because export only works while it is not running. After a long session, press Exit game rather than just closing the tab. See the save guide for the steps.
What is in this version of NFSU2
This is the English single player game: the open city, Quick Race, Career with its garage and shops, and the cars from the NFSU2 car list. Not included: online multiplayer, the video scenes, other languages, and mods (see NFSU2 mods).
NFSU2 browser requirements
- A computer with a recent Chrome or Edge, with hardware acceleration turned on.
- A graphics card and driver that the browser can use for 3D graphics.
If something is missing, the Play button explains what to change instead of showing a black screen. We have not verified Firefox, Safari, iPhone, or phones in general. The picture is the original 4:3 layout, so you will see black bars on the sides of a widescreen window.
NFSU2 not working? Quick fixes
- Dark picture, or the keys do nothingClick once on the game window. The game pauses whenever the page loses focus.
- Play is greyed out with a messageUse Chrome or Edge on a computer and turn on hardware acceleration in the browser settings. School and work computers can block what the game needs, so ask whether hardware acceleration and local storage are allowed.
- The game says it is already openClose the other tab. Only one game tab can run at a time.
- Loading stops or the connection dropsReload the page and press Play again.
- You cannot type a profile nameThe name box needs a real keyboard. The on-screen buttons under the window only move through the menus.
- Your progress is missing in another browserSaves stay in the browser that made them. Use Export saves there and Import saves here.
Frequently asked questions
Is NFSU2 free in the browser?
Yes. You can play NFSU2 here for free, with no account and nothing to install. Press Play and the game starts inside the page.
Do I need to download anything?
No download or installer. In our test, getting from the Play button to a race loaded about 22 MB, and later starts are faster.
Why does it need Chrome or Edge?
NFSU2 runs on Chrome or Edge on a computer with hardware acceleration turned on, which is the default. If something is missing, the Play button tells you what to change instead of showing a black screen.
Where are my saves?
Saves are stored inside your browser on your own computer, not on our servers. Clearing site data for this page erases them, so use Export saves to keep a copy and Import saves to restore it.
Does NFSU2 work on Android or iPhone?
Not verified yet. The supported setup is Chrome or Edge on a computer. On a touch screen the game shows its own controls and this page adds menu buttons, but touch play is experimental.
Do NFSU2 cheat codes work in the browser version?
Codes from the PC version are typed at the title screen before you continue to the menu. We have not tested every code in the browser version, and the NFSU2 cheats page lists each one with its spelling.
Can I play NFSU2 multiplayer online?
Not yet. This version is single player: Quick Race and Career. Online play is not available.
More NFSU2 guides
Written by nfsu-2 team. Last updated .