One of Sonic X Shadow Generations' many dialogue changes seems to add further proof to the theory that Rings aren't technically canon in the Sonic universe.
What would a good platforming mascot be without their signature collectible? Mario has his Mushrooms and Coins, Link has Rupees, and Crash, the best of them all, has Wumpa Fruit. Then there's Sonic the Hedgehog, who has always had floating golden Rings to collect in his games which serve as a shield to him and let him access Super Sonic.
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a good remaster of a fan-favourite game, but it's Shadow's story that steals the show, acting as more of a remake.
Despite how important Rings are in a gameplay sense, they're very rarely acknowledged by the characters as an in-universe thing, especially when it comes to mainline games. One of the most notable examples of Rings being called out is in the ending of Sonic Generations, where Classic and Modern Tails wonder aloud how Sonic collects and stores so many Rings.
At the time, that was decent proof that Sonic's characters are well aware of all of the floating Rings dotted around the world, even if they...
