Ridge Racer Unbounded[b] is a racing video game for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the eighth installment of the Ridge Racer franchise, the game is published by Namco Bandai Games under the Namco label and developed by Bugbear Entertainment. Unbounded is the first game in the series to feature a Microsoft Windows version. Unbounded is also the most recent game in the series to be released on home consoles as its successors only focused on handheld devices.

Unbounded marks a departure from the traditional Ridge Racer drifting style, and moved to a more combat-oriented and destructive style, similar to the Burnout series, as well as implementing customizations.Ridge Racer Unbounded offers a number of changes that depart from traditional Ridge Racer gameplay. Additions to the game include the ability to design and share tracks and a new emphasis on vehicular combat.

While Ridge Racer Unbounded was originally scheduled for release in North America and Europe in early March 2012, Namco delayed it just before the planned release, wanting to allow more time "to pack the disc with features that will truly make the game sing". The game was released in March the same year in North America and Europe and later in April in Australia on all platforms. The Japanese version was never released. Despite this, the game seems to borrow inspiration from Critical Velocity (クリティカルベロシティ, Kuritikaruberoshiti), a video game released in 2005 that was released only in Japan.