SSX 3 is a snowboard racing game played from a third-person view. Players control one of various snowboarders and compete in events set across individual courses in peaks on a mountain. Unlike previous games in the series, which contain unconnected courses, a freeride mode also allows players to freely roam the open world consisting of all the courses in the game;[14] it is possible for the player to ride from the top of the mountain to the bottom without stopping or reloading each course.[15] New areas are progressively unlocked throughout the game.[16]
Players can gain points by performing tricks,[17] such as grabs, grinds, flips, and spins.[18] A feature returning from previous games in the SSX series is the adrenaline meter, which gains adrenaline when the player executes tricks. It can be used to provide a speed boost or, once it becomes full, perform advanced tricks called übers,[19] which grant more points than regular tricks. Performing übers increases the level of the adrenaline meter, which leads to progressively more advanced super über tricks and faster adrenaline boosts.[20] Performing multiple tricks of different kinds creates a combo, doubling the points acquired from tricks, while repeating the same trick causes the number of points it earns to drop.[17] Landing tricks poorly or hitting an object in mid air will cause the snowboarder to wipe out, falling over. The player has the ability to recover their snowboarder more quickly by tapping a button, or alternatively reset the snowboarder back to the course if they get stuck in an area.[21] Both wiping out and resetting result in a loss of adrenaline and the ability to perform übers until the adrenaline meter is filled again.[19]