Need for Speed™ Heat vs Need for Speed™ Payback
Which one is worth buying now, with today's prices and each game's recommendation.
Need for Speed™ Heat wins 7 of 13 head-to-head metrics. Need for Speed™ Payback is $40.00 cheaper.
Metric by metric
The winner of each row gets a ✓. No row weighs more than another; the recommendation is calculated separately.
| Metric | Need for Speed™ Heat | Need for Speed™ Payback |
|---|---|---|
| GameValio scoreRecommendation: Maybe × Wait for Sale | 55 | 53 |
| Quality | 79 | 75 |
| Value | 33 | 36 |
| Popularity | 42 | 36 |
| Current Best Price (USD) | $69.99 | $29.99 |
| Steam Review Score | 84.7% positive | 85.6% positive |
| Average Concurrent Players (14 days) | 1.8K | 208 |
Where to buy
The 3 cheapest stores for each game
Need for Speed™ Heat
Need for Speed™ Payback
Side by side over time
Need for Speed™ HeatNeed for Speed™ Payback
Details and requirements
| Item | Need for Speed™ Heat | Need for Speed™ Payback |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | June 4, 2020 | June 18, 2020 |
| Developers | Ghost Games | Ghost Games |
| Publishers | Electronic Arts | Electronic Arts |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| OS (minimum) | Windows 10 | 64-bit Windows 10 or later |
| Processor (minimum) | Ryzen 3 1300X or Equivalent; Core i7-4790 or Equivalent | Intel i5 4690K @ 3.5GHz or AMD FX 8350 @ 4.0GHz with 4 hardware threads |
| Memory (minimum) | 16 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics (minimum) | AMD: Radeon RX 480 or Equivalent; NVIDIA: GeForce GTX 1060 or Equivalent | AMD Radeon™ RX 480 4GB, NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 1060 6GB or equivalent DX11 compatible GPU with 4GB of memory |
| DirectX (minimum) | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Network (minimum) | Broadband Internet connection | Broadband Internet connection |
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: Need for Speed™ Heat or Need for Speed™ Payback?
Need for Speed™ Heat won the comparison against Need for Speed™ Payback based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.
How is the comparison calculated?
The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table. No weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.
Is Need for Speed™ Heat worth buying over Need for Speed™ Payback?
Based on the metrics, Need for Speed™ Heat won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.
Which game has better player reviews?
Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.
Which game offers better value for money?
The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. Need for Speed™ Payback currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.
Related comparisons
Analysis updated: Oct 24, 2026, 02:51 PM UTC