The Best Racing Games

Best racing games at a glance

How these racing games were selected

The ranking considers:

• Handling quality and driving feedback
• Track, event and vehicle variety
• Arcade accessibility or simulation depth
• Solo progression and multiplayer support
• Weather, surfaces and changing race conditions
• Controller accessibility and room for wheel users
• Replay value through events, competition or exploration
• How clearly each game serves a distinct racing preference

No one racing game can lead every category. A forgiving open-world racer and a detailed GT simulator ask for different skills, so each recommendation is judged by how well it delivers its own style.

1. Forza Horizon 6

Best overall racing game

Forza Horizon 6 turns Japan into a broad open-world driving destination with cities, countryside and mountain roads.

Players can move freely between races, challenges, exploration and collection goals.

Its large car roster supports road racing, off-road driving, drifting and casual cruising.

Adjustable assists allow new drivers to learn gradually, while experienced players can remove support for greater control.

Dynamic weather changes visibility and grip across familiar routes.

It supports single-player, online co-op and online PvP with full controller support.

Choose it for variety and freedom. Players interested only in structured circuit competition should choose Forza Motorsport or Assetto Corsa Competizione.

2. Assetto Corsa Competizione

Best GT racing simulator

Assetto Corsa Competizione focuses on GT competition, official circuits and detailed vehicle behavior.

Braking points, tire condition, track temperature and driver consistency influence performance across a race.

Longer events reward concentration rather than short bursts of speed.

Changing weather and day-night transitions can alter grip and visibility during an event.

Multiplayer supports direct competition for drivers who want to test consistent pace against others.

It supports single-player and online PvP.

Choose it for focused GT simulation and disciplined circuit driving. It has a steeper learning curve than Forza Horizon 6 or GRID Legends.

3. DiRT Rally 2.0

Best rally racing game

DiRT Rally 2.0 sends drivers through off-road stages where surface changes and small mistakes carry serious consequences.

Rally requires interpreting pace notes while controlling the car across gravel, mud, snow and damaged roads.

Vehicle setup and repair decisions matter across connected stages.

Limited visibility and changing weather make memorization less reliable than adaptation.

The absence of nearby competitors shifts the challenge toward maintaining speed without losing control.

It supports single-player and online PvP with full controller support.

Choose it for demanding rally stages and a strong sense of risk. Players seeking casual off-road exploration should choose an open-world racer instead.

4. Forza Motorsport

Best broad circuit-racing game

Forza Motorsport provides structured competition across a wide selection of cars and recognizable tracks.

Practice and qualifying help drivers learn braking zones before a race begins.

Car progression and tuning encourage players to understand how upgrades affect performance.

Dynamic conditions can change the ideal line and increase the importance of smooth control.

The handling aims for more realism than Forza Horizon while remaining approachable with a controller.

It supports single-player and online PvP with full controller support.

Choose it for a broad circuit-racing experience that sits between arcade accessibility and specialist simulation.

5. Need for Speed Unbound

Best street-racing game

Need for Speed Unbound combines street events, garage progression and police pursuits inside an open city.

Its handling favors dramatic cornering and rapid arcade-style decisions rather than strict simulation.

Vehicle customization supports both performance changes and a distinctive visual identity.

Campaign progression introduces risk because unsuccessful events or police chases can disrupt plans.

Stylized visual effects make the presentation different from the realism pursued by most simulators.

It supports single-player and multiplayer.

Choose it for street-racing style, customization and pursuits. Choose Assetto Corsa Competizione for realism or GRID Legends for a more structured narrative campaign.

6. The Crew Motorfest

Best racing game for vehicle variety

The Crew Motorfest uses open islands as a setting for themed driving campaigns and online activities.

Playlists organize events around different car cultures and racing disciplines.

The vehicle selection extends beyond one narrow type of racing, creating a variety-focused progression loop.

Free exploration connects structured events and gives players room to test vehicles outside competition.

Online co-op and PvP support shared activities and direct competition.

It supports single-player, online co-op and online PvP with full controller support.

Choose it for themed campaigns, open-world driving and variety. For deeper handling simulation, choose Forza Motorsport or Assetto Corsa Competizione.

7. GRID Legends

Best story-led racing game

GRID Legends combines a cinematic racing story with a wider collection of events and disciplines.

The campaign gives rivals and teams a role between races, providing more narrative structure than most racing games.

Tracks include traditional circuits and urban routes where narrow spaces increase the risk of contact.

Race creation tools allow custom combinations of locations, vehicle classes and conditions.

The handling is accessible enough for controller play while retaining consequences for poor braking and collisions.

It supports single-player and online PvP.

Choose it for a clear campaign and varied events. Need for Speed Unbound is better when open-world street culture and police pursuits matter more.

8. Project CARS 2

Best wide-ranging motorsport simulator

Project CARS 2 covers many forms of motorsport through a broad collection of cars and circuits.

Weather, track temperature and surface conditions can evolve across an event.

Different vehicle classes require substantial changes in braking, weight transfer and throttle control.

Career progression moves through multiple disciplines rather than concentrating on one championship.

Its simulation focus rewards patient practice and careful setup work.

It supports single-player and online PvP.

Choose it for motorsport breadth and changing track conditions. Assetto Corsa Competizione is the stronger option for a tightly focused GT experience.

Which racing game should you play first?

Match the recommendation to the driving experience you want:

• Open-world variety and exploration: Forza Horizon 6
• Dedicated GT simulation: Assetto Corsa Competizione
• Demanding rally stages: DiRT Rally 2.0
• Broad circuit competition: Forza Motorsport
• Street racing and police pursuits: Need for Speed Unbound
• Vehicle variety and themed campaigns: The Crew Motorfest
• A cinematic racing story: GRID Legends
• Wide-ranging motorsport simulation: Project CARS 2

Forza Horizon 6 is the easiest general recommendation. Forza Motorsport offers a clearer route into circuit racing, while Assetto Corsa Competizione and DiRT Rally 2.0 demand greater precision.

Best racing games for beginners

Forza Horizon 6 provides the most welcoming structure because players can explore, adjust assists and choose events without following one strict career path.

The Crew Motorfest uses themed playlists to introduce several styles of driving.

GRID Legends offers a story-led campaign and controller-friendly handling.

Need for Speed Unbound is approachable for arcade-racing fans, although pursuits and campaign risk create additional pressure.

Forza Motorsport introduces simulation concepts more gradually than Assetto Corsa Competizione, DiRT Rally 2.0 or Project CARS 2.

Best realistic racing games

Assetto Corsa Competizione is the strongest specialist simulator for GT competition.

DiRT Rally 2.0 provides the most demanding loose-surface driving and rally-stage pressure.

Forza Motorsport balances realistic circuit behavior with broader accessibility.

Project CARS 2 offers the widest mixture of motorsport classes and changing conditions.

Realism is not one single quality. Tire behavior, damage, weather, track evolution and force feedback can matter differently depending on the racing discipline.

Best open-world racing games

Forza Horizon 6 is the strongest open-world recommendation because exploration, events and car collection reinforce one another.

The Crew Motorfest provides an alternative built around themed campaigns and multiple vehicle types.

Need for Speed Unbound uses its city for street racing, garage progression and police pursuits.

The other five recommendations focus primarily on tracks or rally stages rather than free-roaming maps.

Best multiplayer racing games

Forza Horizon 6 and The Crew Motorfest support online co-op and PvP, making them suitable for groups that want both shared activities and competition.

Forza Motorsport, Assetto Corsa Competizione, DiRT Rally 2.0, GRID Legends and Project CARS 2 list online PvP.

Need for Speed Unbound includes multiplayer alongside its single-player campaign.

Players should choose by race structure as well as player count. Competitive circuit racing, open-world convoys and asynchronous rally competition provide very different multiplayer experiences.

Do you need a racing wheel?

A controller is enough for most arcade and mixed-style racing games.

Forza Horizon 6, Need for Speed Unbound, The Crew Motorfest and GRID Legends are designed to remain approachable without a full driving setup.

A wheel becomes more valuable in simulators where small steering, braking and throttle inputs determine consistency.

Assetto Corsa Competizione, DiRT Rally 2.0, Forza Motorsport and Project CARS 2 can reward more precise equipment, but skill, setup and practice remain more important than owning expensive hardware.

More racing games to explore

For a larger platform-specific list, continue with the best PC racing games.

A separate guide covers the best racing games for Switch.

Final recommendations

Forza Horizon 6 is the best overall racing game for open-world variety and accessibility. Assetto Corsa Competizione is the strongest GT simulator, while DiRT Rally 2.0 leads for rally.

Choose Forza Motorsport for broad circuit racing, Need for Speed Unbound for street culture or The Crew Motorfest for themed open-world events.

Choose GRID Legends for a narrative campaign or Project CARS 2 for motorsport breadth and changing conditions.

The right racing game depends on what should decide victory: exploration, car setup, braking precision, stage survival, online competition, police evasion or the discipline to repeat one corner until every input is right.