Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time: All Hidden and Colored Gems Locations

Where are all the hidden gems in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time on PS5 and PS4? How do you find all the colored gems? As part of our Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time guide, we're going to show you where to find every hidden gem in the game, including the four coloured gems and all N. Verted level hidden gems. You'll need to find all gems in order to get the Platinum Trophy. For more on Trophies, see our guide: Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time - All Trophies and How to Get the Platinum.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time: All Hidden Gems Locations

Below, we'll be going through where to find every hidden gem in each level of Crash Bandicoot 4 on PS5 and PS4. There's one in nearly every stage. We will also detail coloured gems as they appear.

Rude Awakening

Regular Hidden Gem: After the grind section, continue up the level until you get to the hut where you have to crawl under (pictured). When you're directly below the hut, jump up to get the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: At the very start of the level, the hidden gem is over to the right-hand side of the beach.

N.Sanity Peak

Regular Hidden Gem: After reaching Lani-Loli, you'll begin a chase section where you run towards the screen. Near the start of this chase is the hidden gem on the left, behind a wooden barrier (pictured).

N. Verted Hidden Gem: Half way through the chase sequence is a checkpoint. You need to grab onto a swinging rope. Climb the rope to the top and you'll swing into the hidden gem.

Red Coloured Gem: After the section where you're introduced to the disappearing platforms, you'll reach a checkpoint before you enter the room where Lani-Loli is. On the wall to the right of the checkpoint is an etching showing a grid with arrows (pictured above). This is a set of instructions. Inside the room, before Lani-Loli, are nine platforms phasing in and out. Jump on the platforms in this order, starting on the bottom left: right, right, up, up, left, left, down, right. The red gem will appear at the end (pictured below).

A Real Grind

Regular Hidden Gem: Near the end of the level is a section where you have to use the dimensional swap to jump up alternating platforms. At the top on the left, you'll see a high platform with some boxes on. To get to it, perform a slide to the left (Circle or R1) and at the end, do a double jump. Then, double jump off the top crate to reach another platform with the hidden gem on top.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: After the first checkpoint, you'll have the Lani-Loli mask to phase objects in and out. You'll jump over four oil drums while dodging sharks. When you come to the fifth one, jump over it and get onto the metal box in the air. Press R2 or Triangle to phase in a box that's over where the oil drum is. Jump on top of this box and hold X, and you'll reach the hidden gem.

Crash Compactor

Regular Hidden Gem: After the rail section is a checkpoint and then lots of Nitro boxes. Beyond that is a large enemy, with the hidden gem behind him. Defeat him and use the bouncy crate to reach the gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: Near the end of the level is a side-scrolling section where you have to make things appear or disappear to advance. When you get to some bouncy arrow boxes just before a ball enemy, use the bounce to go up to the right. Use the platforms to get up high to find a box and the hidden gem.

Hit the Road

Regular Hidden Gem: There's a vertical section where you get the Lani-Loli mask to phase things in and out. At the top of the elevator shaft, hop over the fire to the right. Then, do a slide into a double jump to the left to get on the left-hand platform. Do another slide and double jump to get on top of the crate. This leads you to the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: Just after the bonus stage platform, you'll jump over a platform with a ramp down. Double back and slide under that platform to get the hidden gem.

Green Colored Gem: After the first chase sequence, you'll be in a safe spot with some trash cans and a checkpoint (pictured above). The trash can on the left is vibrating a little. Spin it and a device will jump out to the bottom right. Go over to it and keep spinning it until the Nitro box explodes, revealing the green gem (pictured below).

Truck Stopped

Regular Hidden Gem: After a rope swing and grapple point, you'll head left to some wall jumps where a flying enemy will appear. Defeat him and wall jump up. You'll see a crane carrying a car ahead. Instead, head to the right and jump up onto the platform with black and yellow edges.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: After a rope swing and grapple point, there are some boxes stacked on the left. Double jump to reach the top box and use the bounce to get onto the high platform. The hidden gem is positioned just over the edge out of sight — you need to fall off and hop back up to get it.

Booty Calls

Regular Hidden Gem: After the bonus stage, you'll go down into a large cove. Get down to the walkway with two enemies marching side to side. Defeat them and head over to the right and face down. There's a platform that will take you to a treasure chest. Spin the chest to get the gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: After the cutscene where the rat pirates are blown up, continue forward and the path splits in two. Take the path straight ahead, jumping onto the platform floating on the water. As it carries you forward, double jump up and over to the boarded up platform on the right to find the hidden gem.

Thar He Blows!

Regular Hidden Gem: There's a platform covered in Nitro boxes early in the level. Blow them up, then get across and to the right. Instead of continuing up, drop down to the round platform below to find the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: When the level switches back to Crash/Coco, immediately on the inside of the path ahead is the hidden gem, on the left-hand side.

Hook, Line, and Sinker

Regular Hidden Gem: After a checkpoint is the first set of wall jumps. Wall jump up to the next platform. Instead of continuing right, jump up to the higher platform to find the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: The hidden gem is above two cannons after a checkpoint. To reach it, bounce on the head of one of the nearby enemies.

Jetboard Jetty

Regular Hidden Gem: There's a long section where you must ride rafts through spiky obstacles and slide under metal boxes. At the very end of this stretch will be a stack of six metal boxes. Get on top to get the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: As you reach the final section with the jetboard, don't get on it. Turn around and go back to the left to find the hidden gem.

Give It a Spin

Regular Hidden Gem: After the platform with TNT boxes on it is a platform with a green flask on it. The level continues towards the waterfall in the background, but use Akano's Dark Matter Spin to glide over to the right. Here you'll find lots of boxes to smash and a hidden gem on top.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: After the cutscene part way through where the door opens, grab the Akano mask, then come back out of the doorway. Use the Dark Matter spin to jump up and over to the right, where the hidden gem is hanging in the air.

Potion Commotion

Regular Hidden Gem: Near the start of the level, you grapple over to some wall jumps. Do the wall jumps, then from where you land, walk towards the screen and drop down. Hop over to the right and the hidden gem is around the corner.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: When you regain control of Crash/Coco, drop down to the right. The hidden gem is over to the right, use a slide into a double jump to reach it.

Draggin' On

Regular Hidden Gem: After the checkpoint next to the bonus stage platform, make your way up until you reach a lion enemy in a narrow passage. Once you beat the lion, go into this passage (pictured) and go to the left. Use the Dark Matter Spin to break a bunch of boxes and find the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: After the part with three of the lion enemies, you'll use the Dark Matter spin to get up some platforms in a side-scrolling part. Get onto the wooden platform at the top, but instead of continuing forward, use the special spin to double jump way over to the right to find the hidden gem.

Blue Colored Gem: You get the blue gem from this level. To get it, you must complete the level without breaking a single box. If you smash even one crate, the blue gem won't appear at the level exit. This includes checkpoint boxes. You can create a makeshift checkpoint by entering the bonus stage and then jumping out. If you manage to beat the level without breaking boxes, the blue gem will be right at the exit.

Off-Balance

Regular Hidden Gem: There's a side-scrolling section where you have to use the Dark Matter Spin to get to a fan that blows you upward. Get into the air current and instead of going to the left at the top, stop spinning and drop down to the right. You'll be in a hidden part of the level with a tough gauntlet to run through. At the very end is the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: You'll reach a narrow bridge with two dragons flying around it. The planks will fall away as you walk on them. Towards the end of the bridge, the hidden gem is below the bridge, visible after you break some of the planks.

Off Beat

Regular Hidden Gem: After the checkpoint next to the bonus platform, you'll get the Lani-Loli mask. After jumping up the cube platforms with faces, the hidden gem is visible just ahead to the left. You need to spin away or dodge the jugglers to get to it.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: When you reach the checkpoint next to a large dumpster on the left, go behind the dumpster to find the hidden gem.

Home Cookin'

Regular Hidden Gem: When you reach Dingo's destroyed diner, instead of going forwards, go around to the right and down. Follow the walkway to the right to find some boxes. Then, jump and hover over to the right to find a platform with the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: Playing as Dingodile, use the TNT to clear one of the stirrers above a cauldron. Hover over to find a sign with a picture of a bat holding a drink. Hover over to the right and you'll see a bridge in the background. Hover over to it, then head left to find the hidden gem.

Run It Bayou

Regular Hidden Gem: After jumping over the barrels and swinging on the ropes, you'll come to a checkpoint with lots of boxes nearby. To the right is a big barrel. Spin behind it to hit an exclamation mark box. Go back down where you came from, where there were two fire boxes earlier. Jump off to the right and you should land on some metal boxes and find the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: At the start of the level, don't jump on the jetboard. Instead, hop over to the platform on the left with the awning above. Get onto the awning, then double jump towards the screen to land on a balcony and get the hidden gem.

Yellow Colored Gem: Before the first jetboard section, go to the right and use a slide jump to get onto the stone platform. Use the boxes in the water to get across to the next platform. Use another slide jump to get to the moving platform, and use it to get over to the left where there are four boxes. Above these boxes is the yellow gem (it's off-screen). Use the boxes to bounce up and grab it.

No Dillo Dallying

Regular Hidden Gem: After reaching the second checkpoint, there will be a barrel to the left. If you hover out to the left of this barrel, there are some bouncy metal boxes, with the hidden gem above.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: After regaining control of Crash/Coco, turn around and head away from the boat to reach the edge of the deck. Slide and double jump towards the screen to reach the hidden gem.

Snow Way Out

Regular Hidden Gem: You'll come to a section with a large river, and lots of snowy and icy platforms flowing downstream. Almost directly across the river is a platform with a set of boxes stacked like stairs. These lead up to a hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: When you get to the first river section, there's a section accessed through a waterfall to the right. Inside is the hidden gem.

Ship Happens

Regular Hidden Gem: Near the start of the stage, there's a section with lots of platforms at various levels. There's an exclamation mark box over to the right. Hit this, then head back over to the highest point on the left. Use Cortex's air dash to get across the metal boxes to find the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: When you get to the first river section, get to the platform on the right with a tall pillar of boxes. Use the one box in front of the pillar to get on top, and bounce on the top box a few times to get the hidden gem.

Stay Frosty

Regular Hidden Gem: The hidden gem is on a platform high above the bonus platform. From there, head to the right to hit the checkpoint. Go up the steps, then do a slide jump to the left to get to the higher platform — watch out for the Nitro box. Do a slide jump over to the left again, bounce on the box, and you should reach the platform with the gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: On the rail grind section where you need to slow down doors. As you go through a threshold with ice on the bottom, immediately drop down to grab the hidden gem.

Bears Repeating

Regular Hidden Gem: You'll come to a section where you have to jump across a large chasm via rotating platforms, but there are remote-controlled enemies hovering around. The very first of these enemies is flying above a small platform where the hidden gem is. Either time it so you can grab the gem while the enemy has moved away, or get across the platforms, take out the guy controlling the flying robots, then make your way back to collect the gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: After taking out the last lab assistant enemy, you'll bounce up to two platforms that lower when you stand on them. Hop on the right-hand one, allow it to drop down until it stops. Jump back over to the left platform and double jump off that to get the hidden gem.

Building Bridges

Regular Hidden Gem: When you come to the first grapple hook point, you should see the hidden gem above to the left. To get to it, grapple over, defeat the enemy, then do the two wall jumps. Then, walk towards the screen to drop down and get the gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: During the Polar ride sequence, there's a part where Cortex shoots a tree down. Swerve to the left of this tree to get the hidden gem.

Blast to the Past

Regular Hidden Gem: On the second grinding section, there's a sequence near the start that has you hopping from left to right across two vines. It comes after the left-hand bend. After jumping to the left, jump back to the right as soon as possible to get the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: After jumping across the leaves, there's a bouncy arrow box below a metal box. You need to bounce off the arrow box, avoid the metal box in the air, and double jump to get the hidden gem way above.

Fossil Fueled

Regular Hidden Gem: Early in the level, you'll get to a tree stump that you need to perform an air dash from. The gem is hidden below this tree stump — just walk forwards to fall into the lower area and you should get it.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: Playing as Cortex, get over the section with lava below, using the enemies as platforms. You'll see a TNT box above a fruit box ahead. Turn the enemy just past these into a bouncy platform. Bounce up and head towards the screen to get the hidden gem above the TNT.

Dino Dash

Regular Hidden Gem: Right after the second T-Rex chase is a checkpoint. A little further on from this is the hidden gem. It's behind the rock after the Aku-Aku box.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: Just before the first T-Rex chase. Instead of breaking the bones, jump up to the left to find the hidden gem.

Rock Blocked

Regular Hidden Gem: While playing as Dingodile, you'll come to a platform with three TNT boxes in the foreground. Clear one of these away, then launch the remaining two to the left and to the right to hit some boxes. Then, hover towards the screen to find a platform with the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: Playing as Dingodile, during the big side-scrolling climb up the waterfall. After bouncing up some metal arrow boxes, there's an enemy guarding a small stack of boxes. Jump on top of this stack, then use the hover jump to reach the hidden gem above.

Out for Launch

Regular Hidden Gem: At the checkpoint just before the first set of wall run points, the hidden gem is tucked away on the left.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: Right at the start, jump up into the second room. Standing just inside the doorway, double jump up to get the hidden gem.

Shipping Error

Regular Hidden Gem: While playing as Cortex, the hidden gem is near the start of the level hidden in the background after going down a large drop.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: Just before the final elevator. Double jump up just outside the tunnel to get the hidden gem.

Stowing Away

Regular Hidden Gem: After getting the Ika-Ika mask, you'll go into a second set of vents. After reversing gravity to get up the chute, don't reset gravity at the top — keep walking and you'll fall into a hidden vent above. Go to the right and spin an exclamation mark box, then to the left to collect the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: Reach the cockpit and go down the elevator. At the bottom, turn around and walk towards the screen for the hidden gem.

Crash Landed

Regular Hidden Gem: You'll reach a checkpoint inside a tunnel. A little further along is Ika-Ika, the gravity mask. Once you have it equipped, go back opposite the creature that comes out of the left wall. Reverse gravity and a second later switch it back to get onto a hidden platform. Here you'll find the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: You must get the blue coloured gem for this hidden gem. After the first alien ride section, jump on the big blue gem to get to another part of the level. After descending the slippery slopes, jump towards the screen to reach a small platform with some boxes on it. Jump off the top of these boxes to reach the hidden gem.

Food Run

Regular Hidden Gem: Right near the start, you'll go down a small elevator. There will be lanes of flying traffic ahead that you need to jump across. Over to the left of this section is the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: During the side-scrolling section where you phase platforms and walls in and out, the hidden gem is hiding inside one of these platforms. You need to phase the platform out, grab the gem, double jump, and phase the platform in to land on it.

Rush Hour

Regular Hidden Gem: Playing as Dingodile, there's a side-scrolling section where you have to jump across oncoming vehicles while avoiding lots of Nitro boxes. When you reach the end of this, instead of going through the door, keep going over to the right to find another platform. The hidden gem is guarded by an enemy.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: Right near the start, you'll jump over some platforms that drop away after a couple of seconds. The hidden gem is underneath the final one of these; let it take you down and you'll get the hidden gem.

The Crate Escape

Regular Hidden Gem: After jumping up the side-scrolling section, you'll reach the third checkpoint. You should see the hidden gem above. To get it, continue forward until you find a metal box with an arrow. Use it to bounce up and shoot the exclamation mark box. Now you need to go all the way back to where the gem is, and use the newly spawned box to reach it.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: Near the start, turn the trash can enemy into a bouncy platform. Get over to it, and use the bounce to air dash to a box on the right. Bounce on this box, then air dash to the left to land on another box, and then a third. Air dash from this box to the left to get the hidden gem.

Nitro Processing

Regular Hidden Gem: The hidden gem in this stage is above the third giant cog you go across.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: When you reach the platform with the time limit metal box, jump over to the left to find the hidden gem behind a wall.

Toxic Tunnels

Regular Hidden Gem: For this hidden gem, you must first have collected all four of the coloured gems, outlined earlier in this guide. You'll come to a door that only opens if you have all the colored gems. Inside is a series of tough obstacle courses, and at the very end is the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: When jumping up the platforms that are going back and forth on circular cogs, the hidden gem is off to the right-hand side in mid air.

Cortex Castle

Regular Hidden Gem: There's a section fairly late in the level where you need to navigate some lasers. You need to jump onto the top of the moving laser, which will carry you to the left. From there you can jump up to a TNT crate. From on top of the TNT, jump over to the right to find the hidden gem above a box.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: When you get the Akano mask, spin up and land on the four TNT crates (disabling the spin first). Jump off to the right, activate Dark Matter spin, and double jump to the right to get the hidden gem.

Seeing Double

Regular Hidden Gem: While playing as Cortex, get through the first laser grid after the first checkpoint. You'll find a metal box with an arrow on it below to the right. Use it to get on top of the exclamation mark box. Then, dash to the left to get to another platform. Shoot the Nitro box, then dash to the left again. You can jump through the window to find a secret path. Head over to the right, and on the other side is the hidden gem.

N. Verted Hidden Gem: After regaining control of Crash/Coco, you'll begin a tricky side-scrolling section. Once you get Akano, bounce on the low box, then use Dark Matter spin to get up and over the Kupuna-Wa mask. The hidden gem is above a box to the left.

Have you found all the hidden gems yet in Crash Bandicoot 4 on PS5 and PS4? Tell us in the comments section below, and be sure to check out our Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time guide for more.