Need for Speed: Undercover

Need for Speed: Undercover

Developers
	EA Black Box
Publishers
	Electronic Arts
Engines
	Speed
Release dates
Windows	November 18, 2008
Reception
Metacritic	65
IGDB	57
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase, DLC
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	First-person, Third-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	Racing
Vehicles	Automobile, Street racing
Art styles	Realistic
Themes	Contemporary
Series	Need for Speed

Need for Speed: Undercover is a singleplayer and multiplayer racing game developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts. It is the twelfth entry in the Need for Speed series.

Undercover returns to the open world racing premise as most Need for Speed titles since Underground 2, where players can be also chased by cops during free roam and race. As the title suggest, players doesn't assumes the role of street racers in the story mode of Undercover, instead it have players assumes the role of an unnamed undercover police officer in the fictional Tri-City Bay as he infiltrate and investigate the underground street racing world.

It was released in North America on November 18, 2008, followed by Europe on November 21, 2008. The PC version is based on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.

Some graphical effects, including car shadows, went missing after updating the game to version higher than version 1.0.0.1.

General information

Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail		SecuROM 7 and SecuROM PA DRM, five activations limit. A De-Authorization Tool is available. Taiwanese patch removes SecuROM 7 and SecuROM PA DRM.
EA app (unavailable)		SecuROM 7 and SecuROM PA DRM. Launches without Origin when ran directly from executable.
Steam (unavailable)

Delisted from online stores on May 31, 2021.

Steam uses v1.0.0.1 of the game; Origin uses v1.0.1.18.

Steam's Origin key is stored in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Electronic Arts\ea games\need for speed undercover\ergc.

The Origin version of the game will not run with DLL loaded mods present, showing "Security Module could not be loaded" message.

Monetization

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
Challenge Series Expansion	Released for free as part of 1.0.1.18 patch.
Boss Cars Bundle	Used to be sold on EA Store, has since been delisted. Can be restored through mods.

Collector's Edition Upgrade DLC was never officially released for PC but can be restored through mods.

Essential improvements

Patches

Patch 1.0.1.18 is the latest version. A patch for the Steam version is available here. Please note, this will render the Steam copy unable to load mods as it will fail securom security activation. The patch introduces Challenge Series not present in earlier versions.

A downgrader to 1.0.1.17 is also available. This version has better performance and less compatibility issues compared to 1.0.1.18. Please note, this will also render the Steam copy unable to load mods as it will fail securom security activation.

Skip intro videos

Use NFS Undercover Generic Fix[citation needed]
Open NFSUndercover.GenericFix.ini. Change SkipIntro = 0 to SkipIntro = 1.

Instructions[citation needed]
Go to <path-to-game>\Movies\ Delete or rename ea_bumper_##.vp6 (where ## is the region name of the game version)

NFS Undercover Generic Fix

Fixes the game's code to automatically detect available resolutions of the selected screen properly.

Improves gamepad support by adding controller icons.

Increases shadows resolution and shadows draw distance.

Does not work on 1.0.1.18 Traditional Chinese version with SecuROM 7 and SecuROM PA DRM removed.

Game data

NFS Undercover Generic Fix can optionally save all registry settings to an .ini file as well as store user files in a specified folder

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\EA Games\Need For Speed Undercover\
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/17430/pfx/

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\NFS Undercover\<user-id>\
Steam Play (Linux)	<SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/17430/pfx/

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
EA app
OneDrive		Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud

Video

General settings

World settings

Car settings

Graphics feature	State	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution			Use NFS Undercover Generic Fix for unlisted resolutions.
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen			Use NFS Undercover Generic Fix and NFSUC HUD Adapter.
4K Ultra HD			Use NFS Undercover Generic Fix.
Field of view (FOV)		See Field of view (FOV).
Windowed		Use NFS Undercover Generic Fix.
Borderless fullscreen windowed		Use NFS Undercover Generic Fix.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)		Only an 'Anisotropic' mode is available. Force in the graphics card control panel.
Anti-aliasing (AA)		Up to 6x FSAA.
High-fidelity upscaling		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS and 120+ FPS		See Run the game at screen refresh rate.
High dynamic range display (HDR)		See the glossary page for potential alternatives.
Ray tracing (RT)
Color blind mode		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.

Field of view (FOV)

Use FOV fix[citation needed]
Download FOV fix by NFS Business. Unzip Update 2-4-18.nfsms. Download and run NFS-VltEd. Import unzipped Update 2-4-18.nfsms. Save. Notes Alternative camera mods: close version and far version.

Bloom

Disable bloom effect[citation needed]
Install NFS Undercover Generic Fix. Open NFSUndercover.GenericFix.ini. Change BloomIntensity = 1.0 to BloomIntensity = 0.0.

Input

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus		Movements interpreted like a directional pad except on world map.
Keyboard and mouse prompts
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support		Use NFS XtendedInput.
Controller remapping
Controller sensitivity		DirectInput gamepads only. For XInput gamepads use NFS Undercover Generic Fix or NFS XtendedInput.
Controller Y-axis inversion

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers		XInput controllers are poorly supported. To fix this, use NFS XtendedInput.
Xbox button prompts		Use NFS Undercover Generic Fix.
Impulse Trigger vibration

Generic/other controllers

Additional information
Controller hotplugging		Hotplugging works only with already plugged in DirectInput controllers. If a new controller gets plugged in during the game session, the game won't recognize it. For XInput controllers use NFS XtendedInput.
Input prompt override
Haptic feedback		DirectInput gamepads only. Doesn't work with XInput controllers even with this hack.
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

NFS XtendedInput

Fixes XInput implementation

Rebinding can be made only through .ini file, as for now entering controls settings crashes the game.

No force feedback feature yet.

Controls are reset to default

Audio

Audio settings

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		Music, Speech, Sound Effects and Engine Effects.
Surround sound		Only a 'Surround' option is available, the previous option delivers up to 5.1
Subtitles		Subtitles do not appear if the game is set to English.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

In languages with subtitles, they are on by default and cannot be turned off.

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
Traditional Chinese				Only available in retail release in Taiwan, Translated by EA Taiwan, Subtitles only in cutscenes.
Czech				Subtitles only in cutscenes.
Danish				Subtitles only in cutscenes.
Dutch				Subtitles only in cutscenes.
Finnish				Subtitles only in cutscenes.
French
German
Hungarian				Subtitles only in cutscenes.
Italian
Japanese
Korean				Subtitles only in cutscenes.
Polish				Subtitles only in cutscenes.
Brazilian Portuguese				Fan translation, download. Replace Mexican Spanish language.
Russian
Slovak				Fan translation, download. Replace Czech language.
Spanish
Latin American Spanish				Subtitles only in cutscenes.
Swedish				Subtitles only in cutscenes.
Turkish				Fan translation, download. Replace Polish language.
Thai				Subtitles only in cutscenes.

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
Local play		4	Only in PlayStation 2 and Wii versions.
LAN play
Online play		8	Online servers were shut down in August 31, 2021.

Issues fixed

Game freezes after loading a profile on system with more than 4 physical cores

Use MSCONFIG to reduce the core count
Go to MSCONFIG.exe Go to the Boot tab Go to Advanced Options Check Number of Processors and set the drop-down to 8 (If this doesn't work, set to 4) Hit OK and Apply and reboot After you play the game set your settings back by following the instructions again except uncheck Number of Processors.

Use Special K to spoof the number of cores. This requires that the exe file is 4GB patched. The game may attempt to perform this, but usually only creates an unpatched exe.
Install Special K by following the Special K Wiki. When the game starts, press Ctrl+Shift+Backspace to open Special K menu. Go to Frame limiter section and click on Advanced. Tick Spoof CPU Core Count and set the number of cores to 2. Restart the game.

Configure Windows to automatically restrict the game to using 8 CPU cores

Download the Windows ADK. During installation, it gives the option to select multiple tools; the only one needed is Compatibility Administrator. Once installed, open the Start Menu folder named Windows Kits, and launch Compatiblity Administrator (32-bit). Select "New database" under "Custom Databases". Right click on "New Database", then go to "Create New" > "Application Fix". Provide the full path of nfs.exe and give it a name of choosing. Skip past the compatibility mode options. In compatibility fixes select ProcessorCountLieForHybridCPU. Open "Parameters" and set the "Command line" value to 8 In compatibility fixes select ProcessorCountLie. Open "Parameters" and set the "Command line" value to 8. (The "Command line" value determines the number of cores to use. If the parameter is not set it will only use one core and the FPS will be low.) Save the database from the Database menu and give it a name when prompted. Select File > Install. Then search for the .sdb file that was previously saved and select it. The fix will now automatically be applied whenever the game is launched. Run the game. Note: In Windows 11, the patch previously installed for the .exe fix appears as a different program in Add or Remove Programs.

Use Process Lasso

Run the game, task switch and run the Process Lasso Find the game process and right click on it Go to CPU Affinity>Always>and uncheck CPU threads to leave only 8 or 4 active (depending on which quantity works for you) Changes are applied automatically every time the game is launched without running Process Lasso manually once its Core Engine autostart is configured in Options (so you don't see the counter in the free version every time it's used).

Downgrade to 1.0.1.17

Controller deadzone issues

Adjust the left stick deadzone[citation needed]
Download NFS Undercover Generic Fix. Extract the contents to the installation folder. Deadzone can be adjusted in NFSUndercover.GenericFix.ini. Deadzone can be only increased with Generic Fix. If you want to use it for other reasons and don't want to increase the default deadzone value, set it to 0.0. To decrease the deadzone, use other tools like DS4Windows.

Video settings not saved correctly (Windows 8)

Disable display scaling
Open nfs.exe compatibility settings. Disable display scaling on high DPI settings.

Game renders logic and graphics at 60 Hz

The game renders game logic and graphics at 60 Hz, despite forcing the game logic to run at higher frame rate.

Control the refresh rate of the gameplay engine[citation needed]
Install NFS Undercover Generic Fix. If needed, change SimRate value in NFSUndercover.GenericFix.ini to control the refresh rate of the gameplay engine.

Game uses incorrect screen refresh rate

Fullscreen mode defaults to 60 Hz, even if the screen refresh rate is set higher than that.

Set screen refresh rate[citation needed]

Download and extract Special K. Copy SpecialK32.dll into the game folder. Rename SpecialK32.dll to d3d9.dll. Start the game and exit. Open d3d9.ini in the game folder. Change RefreshRate=-1.0 to RefreshRate=0.0 under [Render.FrameRate]. It will still force 60Hz until you change the V-Sync setting inside the game's graphics setting. You have to change it each time you start the game. It doesn't matter if you set it from off to on or vice versa. To make sure V-Sync is forced to on or off, set it in the graphics control panel.

FPS issues on modern machines

Use specific game version

Install retail 1.0 version. Install NFSUC 1.0.1.17 patch for Origin (and possibly Steam). Use only original binary (NoCD binaries cause FPS issues as well as version 1.0.1.18 including Origin). Origin key can be used during activation of retail version (at least it used to if currently activation server is not down). Steam users can obtain a key from the registry after installing the game. Follow this guide. It is possible to have 2 copies of the game at the same time (e.g. with various game versions).

Set compatibility mode
Open nfs.exe compatibility settings. Choose "Windows XP SP3" from menu "Run this program in compatibility mode for" Game settings can constantly reset after restart of the game. FPS boost on high details can be even more noticeable than using specific game version.

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	9.0c

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Physics	Havok Physics
Audio	DirectSound
Cutscenes	VP6
Anti-cheat	PunkBuster	[citation needed]

Mods

Extra Options

Unlocks various hidden settings, cheats, QoL improvements, etc.

All settings are optional/changable

HD texture packs

HD texture packs have been made by An7hraX and Dragozool.

Both require texmod in order to work.

Project Reformed

Aims to overhaul gaming experience with reworked handling and AI, new vehicles,
whilst attempting to fix game bugs and non-consistency of game plot.

Graphics Enhancement Mod

Makes changes to the streak effect, contrast, and bloom.

Color Accurate HUD

Changes the HUD color to be inline with the color of the rest of game's interface, as originally envisioned by the developers.

Beta HUD Ported

Restores blue HUD from an early Xbox 360 alpha of the game, that was in the game until tail end of beta stage of development.

Beta Visuals

Restores less bloomy and colorful visuals from an early Xbox 360 alpha of the game.

Can be made even more accurate with the early sun position mod.

UnPissed Cutscenes

Replaces FMV cutscenes with the versions from early stage of the post-production process (no color filters).

DLC Unlocker

Unlocks Collector's Edition Upgrade and Boss Cars Bundle that are unavailable in the PC version otherwise.

Requires 1.0.1.18 version of the game to work.

Unlock Collectors Edition content (1.0.0.1 only)

• NFS Undercover Collector's Edition requirement remover (to install with NFS-VltEd)
• Collectors Edition Vinyls Unlocker

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum		Recommended
Operating system (OS)	XP SP2		Vista
Processor (CPU)	Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz		Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz
System memory (RAM)	512 MB 1 GB (Vista)		1 GB
Storage drive (HDD/SSD)	6 GB
Video card (GPU)	Nvidia GeForce 6600 ATI Radeon 9500 Intel G45 Express 128 MB of VRAM DirectX 9.0c compatible