Virtua Tennis 4 is a fast-paced tennis video game for PlayStation 3, emphasizing arcade-style gameplay over realistic simulation. The central feature is its career mode, in which players create an avatar and aim to achieve success over four seasons. Players can enhance their skills through training mini-games and earn money to buy new gear. Other modes include single matches, party games, and arcade challenges, featuring a roster of 19 licensed players.
Virtua Tennis 4 is an action-oriented tennis game which focuses on fast matches instead of being a realistic simulation. The heart of the game is the career mode in which the player creates his own avatar. The goal is simple: reaching the top within four seasons. Here the player has various possibilities to improve his tennis player, e.g. by playing training sessions (arcade mini game like picking up eggs) to improve the statistics, buying new clothes with prize money or playing matches. The menu for this mode is made up like a board game.
Other playing odes are single matches, party mode (playing the mentioned mini games) or arcade (winning as many matches in a row as possible). Here players can choose between 19 licensed athletes (plus at release already retired athletes in the PlayStation 3 version). The standard controls for returning the ball consist of choosing the wished move, e.g. a spin, and the basic direction. When a special bar is filled up, players can unleash an especially powerful hit.