Unlike the last two installments in the Project Gotham Racing series, Project Gotham Racing 3 does not have a four-player split-screen function that allows four gamers to play one game on the same videogame console.

While many have praised the graphics in Project Gotham Racing 3,
errors such as texture-build and items in the distance popping-up are
very noticeable on a few tracks (for example, it is clear to see trees
appearing and disappearing on screen during the Nürburgring course).

The damage physics for when a car crashes have also been noticeably toned down in Project Gotham Racing 3.
While the first two games did not use emphasis on car-damage, they did
display a satisfying image of wreck; therefore, in comparison, Project Gotham Racing 3 looks significantly less impressive.

Project Gotham Racing 3 only allows players to race in supercars, while in the first two games players were able to race in cars such as the Mini Cooper and Ford Focus. However, recent content downloads allow users to purchase cars such as the Mini Cooper.

The game has a smaller number of single-player challenges than in previous installments but does have more game modes.