The short version: play them in release order. That means Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001), Jak II (2003) and Jak 3 (2004) first, then Jak X: Combat Racing (2005), Daxter (2006) and The Lost Frontier (2009) only if you want more. Release order and story order disagree on exactly one game, Daxter, a PSP side story set in the two-year gap at the start of Jak II. The decision that matters more is Jak II itself, because that is where Naughty Dog swapped a sunny collect-a-thon for a police-state city, a gun and a talking hero, and where some players get off. In 2026 you can play all six on PS4 and PS5 (the two PSP games through PS Plus Premium), and all three mainline PS2 games natively on PC through the open-source OpenGOAL project, with Jak II and Jak 3 still labelled beta.
Everything below was checked on 11 October 2026 against Sony’s store listings, the OpenGOAL project and the sources at the bottom. I did not replay all six games for this guide, so the “which to play” calls are editorial judgement built on release data and review scores, and I say so where it matters. Prices and beta labels change, so check them before you buy.
Quick start: the order to play them in
- Start with The Precursor Legacy. It is the series opener and, at a Metacritic score of 90, the best-reviewed entry.
- Play Jak II next. It follows the first game directly. Give it the first few missions before deciding whether the new tone works for you.
- Play Jak 3 straight after. It follows Jak II and, according to reviewers, is easier.
- Treat Jak X as optional. It is a combat-racing spin-off, not a continuation of the platforming.
- Add Daxter when you want a side story. It works after Jak 3, or between games one and two if you want the in-universe order.
- Leave The Lost Frontier for last. It is the weakest-reviewed game and a different studio’s work.
- Pick a platform before you buy anything. PS4 and PS5 are the simplest; PC via OpenGOAL is free but needs your own PS2 disc (details below).
How many Jak and Daxter games are there, and who made each one?
There are six games: four on PlayStation 2, one on PSP, and one that came out on both. Naughty Dog made the first four across 2001 to 2005, and two other studios made the last two. The table is in release order, with each game’s place in the story next to it.
| Game | US release | Developer | Genre | Story slot | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Precursor Legacy (PS2) | 4 Dec 2001 | Naughty Dog | 3D platformer | Series opener | 90 |
| Jak II (PS2) | 14 Oct 2003 | Naughty Dog | Open-city action platformer | Directly after game one | 87 |
| Jak 3 (PS2) | 9 Nov 2004 | Naughty Dog | Action platformer with vehicles | A year after Jak II | 84 |
| Jak X: Combat Racing (PS2) | 18 Oct 2005 | Naughty Dog | Combat racing | After Jak 3 | 76 |
| Daxter (PSP) | 14 Mar 2006 | Ready at Dawn | Action platformer | The two-year gap at the start of Jak II | 85 |
| The Lost Frontier (PS2, PSP) | 3 Nov 2009 | High Impact Games | Action-adventure with aerial combat | After the trilogy (exact slot not stated) | 72 (PS2) / 71 (PSP) |
The pattern in the scores is the quickest way to see the series’ arc: the four Naughty Dog games fall from 90 to 87 to 84 to 76, and the only later game above 80 is Daxter. Dates and developers come from the series overview and the per-game entries for The Precursor Legacy, Jak 3, Jak X, Daxter and The Lost Frontier. Wikipedia’s infobox lists Naughty Dog as producer on Daxter; Ready at Dawn built it.
Release order or story order: which should you pick?
Pick release order. Only Daxter sits in a different place, and it is the one game the main story does not need. It came out in March 2006, after Jak X, but it is set in the two-year gap at the start of Jak II, after Jak is captured and before Daxter rescues him. In other words, it ends roughly where Jak II’s playable story begins.
| Your goal | Order to play | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-time player | Precursor Legacy, Jak II, Jak 3, then extras | Matches how the design and tone evolved |
| Lore completionist | Precursor Legacy, Daxter, Jak II, Jak 3, Jak X, Lost Frontier | In-universe order, as far as the sources place each game |
| Short on time | Precursor Legacy, Jak II, Jak 3 only | The three direct sequels carry the whole main story |
My pick for Daxter is after Jak 3. That is an editorial call, not a rule: the game is a side story, it adds nothing the trilogy depends on, and playing it last means you already know how the gap ends.
Where does the tone change? It is Jak II, not Jak 3
The tone break is Jak II. In the first game Jak does not speak; in Jak II his first words are, in Inverse’s phrasing, “literally a promise to kill someone,” and he lands in a city that operates like a police state. The game is also built differently. Jak II adds a firearm called the Morph Gun, a hoverboard-style Jet-Board and Haven City, a seamless open city 24 times larger than any level in the previous game, with missions you can take in any order. The same entry says the team drew partly on Grand Theft Auto III.
Why did the team do it? According to that Wikipedia entry, co-founder Jason Rubin blamed the original game’s lack of maturity and an ageing audience for it falling short of Crash Bandicoot’s success, saying 2000s players wanted more than “fuzzy animal” antics. That is a developer’s explanation reported second-hand, so treat the sales logic as the studio’s view rather than a measured fact.
Did it split fans? Yes, in part, though critics mostly liked it. Jak II holds a Metacritic score of 87. Retroware’s retrospective says the extreme challenge and darker tone alienated a portion of Precursor Legacy admirers, and the complaints in the reviews are specific: sparse checkpoints, missions that need several retries, crowded streets and floaty vehicle controls. GameSpy’s Benjamin Turner called the “edgy” tone forced. Jak 3 then softened the difficulty, since reviewers generally found it easier, and Jak II itself reached Sony’s Greatest Hits line about a year after launch.
The mechanism is the change in the core loop. The first game asks you to collect things in one continuous world, with little punishment. Jak II asks you to pass combat and driving missions with fixed checkpoints. A player who loved game one for relaxed exploration is being asked to do a different job, which is why the split follows playstyle as much as tone.
| If you are… | Do this | Skip or watch for |
|---|---|---|
| A new player who wants the story | Play all three direct games in order | Expect to repeat Jak II missions; Jak 3 is gentler |
| A casual player who loved game one | Finish The Precursor Legacy, then try Jak II for three or four hours | No later game returns to game one’s structure, so stopping after one is fine |
| A hardcore player | Play Jak II for its reputation as one of the PS2’s hardest games | Checkpoint spacing is the most-cited complaint, so expect retries |
| A completionist | All six, with Jak X and the PSP games on PlayStation hardware | OpenGOAL covers only the three mainline games |
How do you play Jak and Daxter in 2026? The three ways
PS4 and PS5 are the only route that reaches all six games without hunting for old hardware. PC is free and the most polished for game one, but you need your own PS2 disc. Original hardware covers the most games, at the cost of space, setup and money.
| Way to play | Games covered | You need | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS4 / PS5 | All six | PlayStation account; PS Plus Premium for some | Anyone who wants no setup | Catalogue and prices change |
| PC and Steam Deck (OpenGOAL) | First three only | Your own PS2 disc image | Players who want a native PC version | Jak II and Jak 3 are in beta |
| Original discs, PS3 Collection, retro handheld | Varies by device | Hardware or discs | Collectors and tinkerers | Cost; PSP titles are the hard part |
Way 1: PS4 and PS5
Buy or stream the PS4 versions and play them on either console. Sony’s Jak II listing calls it a PS2 game converted with “1080p up-rendering and Trophies,” dated 28 November 2017, and adds that it is playable on PS5 but “some features available on PS4 may be absent.” Wikipedia gives December 2017 for the bundle; I have gone with Sony’s date. Per Wikipedia, Jak X came to PS4 in 2017 and works on PS5 through backward compatibility.
The first game has a newer listing. Sony’s store page for The Precursor Legacy shows PS4 and PS5, a 10 December 2024 date, “up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters,” and inclusion with PS Plus Premium. When I read it, the US price was $9.99 regular and $4.99 on a sale that ends 22 October 2026. The two PSP games came later: The Lost Frontier arrived on 19 March 2024 through Premium, and Daxter followed on 18 June 2024 in the Extra and Premium catalogue.
Way 2: PC and Steam Deck through OpenGOAL
OpenGOAL is the best PC option and it is free, but it is not a download-and-play. It is an open-source project that rebuilds the games as native x86-64 programs, so it is not emulation. The project’s README says it supports Windows, Linux and macOS (via Rosetta), and that you must use your own legally purchased copy: extract your ISO into the matching folder. It supports retail PAL, NTSC and NTSC-J builds, and explicitly not the PS3, PS4 or PS5 releases. That is the catch for anyone who already bought the PS4 versions.
As for status, the README says Jak 1 “has been considered in a polished, complete state for years,” Jak 2 is in beta, and Jak 3 “has a good amount of work left to do.” Newer coverage disagrees on that last point. Time Extension reported on 3 April 2026 that all three are “feature complete and fully completable,” with Jak II and Jak 3 still in beta and carrying audio bugs and graphical issues. I trust the April 2026 reports over the README line, which looks out of date, but treat Jak 3 as beta either way. Whether Jak X will ever be ported is undecided, and the README only mentions the original trilogy.
On Steam Deck, GamingOnLinux says to use the OpenGOAL launcher for all the games, because the Decky plugin is deprecated. Our PC vs PS5 vs Steam Deck comparison shows how platform trade-offs play out in a demanding modern game: haptics, battery and frame pacing. A PS2-era game barely touches those limits, so in my read the choice here comes down to what you already own. If you were thinking of buying a Deck just for this, the Switch 2 vs Steam Deck breakdown has the 2026 price rises: the 512GB OLED went from $549 to $789 on 27 May 2026.
Way 3: original discs, the PS3 Collection and retro handhelds
Physical copies work. The Jak and Daxter Collection came out on PS3 on 7 February 2012, ported by Mass Media Games, with 720p graphics at 60 fps and trophies; a Vita version followed in June 2013. Limited Run Games also made limited physical PS4 copies in 2019 and 2020. Daxter exists only on PSP in its original form, while The Lost Frontier came out on both PS2 and PSP.
For handhelds, our best retro handheld ranking names the Retroid Pocket 6 as the only device in the roundup with the GPU and 120Hz AMOLED screen for PS2 and GameCube games, and the Retroid Pocket Nova as the 4:3 pick for PS1 and PS2-era libraries. The Anbernic RG Cube is not for PS2 titles that need a stable 60 fps. That ranking does not test PSP games and I make no claim about them. Use only discs you own and dump yourself.
Which Jak and Daxter games can you skip?
Skip The Lost Frontier first, Jak X second, and nothing else. My ranking by value, built from the Metacritic scores and each game’s role in the story, runs: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, Jak 3, Daxter, Jak X, The Lost Frontier.
The Lost Frontier was started by Naughty Dog as a PSP game; Evan Wells later said the studio could not sustain it alongside Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, so it went to High Impact Games. GameSpot gave it 7.5 and said the “Dark Daxter levels feel tacked on”; Eurogamer gave it 8. Jak X is competent but a different genre, so it earns a place only if you want vehicle combat. If you bounced off Jak II, Jak 3 is the fail-safe: the same structure with an easier difficulty curve, per reviewers.
FAQ
Do you have to play the Jak and Daxter games in order?
For the first three, yes. Jak II follows The Precursor Legacy directly and Jak 3 follows Jak II, and Jak’s change from silent hero to angry fighter only lands if you have seen the first game. Jak X, Daxter and The Lost Frontier can be played in any order afterwards.
Is Jak II worth finishing if you dislike the darker tone?
Probably, if the cause is the tone and not the difficulty. Jak 3 keeps the guns and the hub structure, so if the story’s attitude is the problem you will have the same problem again. If the cause is the checkpoints, push on, because Jak 3 eased that, according to reviewers.
Is there a Jak and Daxter 4 or a remake?
As of 11 October 2026 I found no official announcement. The latest release is still The Lost Frontier from 2009, re-released on PS4 and PS5 in 2024. Wikipedia quotes Sam Thompson saying he was not happy with that being Jak’s swan song, but that is a wish, not a plan.
Is the PS3 Jak and Daxter Collection worth buying in 2026?
Only if you still own a PS3 or Vita. It covers the three mainline games at 720p and 60 fps, while the PS4 versions give you those three plus Jak X with up-rendering and run on a console you probably own.
Sources
- Wikipedia. Jak and Daxter. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jak_and_Daxter)
- Wikipedia. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jak_and_Daxter:_The_Precursor_Legacy)
- Wikipedia. Jak II. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jak_II)
- Wikipedia. Jak 3. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jak_3)
- Wikipedia. Jak X: Combat Racing. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jak_X:_Combat_Racing)
- Wikipedia. Daxter (video game). Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daxter_(video_game))
- Wikipedia. Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier. Wikimedia Foundation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jak_and_Daxter:_The_Lost_Frontier)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment. Jak II (PS4 listing). PlayStation (https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/jak-ii-ps4/)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS4/PS5 listing). PlayStation Store (https://store.playstation.com/concept/10010137)
- Push Square. Oft-forgotten Jak and Daxter spin-off The Lost Frontier soaring to PS5, PS4 via PS Plus Premium (March 2024). Push Square (https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/03/oft-forgotten-jak-and-daxter-spin-off-the-lost-frontier-soaring-to-ps5-ps4-via-ps-plus-premium)
- Retro Dodo. Daxter and LEGO Star Wars II on PSP finally coming to PS4 and PS5 (June 2024). Retro Dodo (https://retrododo.com/daxter-lego-star-wars-ii-on-psp-is-finally-coming-to-ps4-ps5)
- OpenGOAL. jak-project README. GitHub (https://github.com/open-goal/jak-project)
- Time Extension. All three mainline Jak and Daxter PS2 games now have native PC ports (3 April 2026). Time Extension (https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/04/all-three-mainline-jak-and-daxter-ps2-games-now-have-native-pc-ports)
- GamingOnLinux. OpenGOAL project adds the Naughty Dog classic Jak 3 (April 2026). GamingOnLinux (http://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/04/opengoal-project-adds-the-naughty-dog-classic-jak-3)
- Reyes, J. Jak II 20th anniversary retrospective. Inverse (https://inverse.com/gaming/jak-2-anniversary-20-years-retrospective)
- Retroware. Where To Play: Jak II (2 June 2021). Retroware (https://articles.retroware.com/2021/06/02/where-to-play-jak-ii/)
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.