Top Racing Games to Play Now 2025 PC and Console Recommendations

Get ready to burn rubber and feel the rush-whether you’re a sim racing purist or an arcade adrenaline junkie, the best racing games of 2025 deliver heart-pounding thrills across every platform. From the open-world freedom of Forza Horizon 5 to the precision of Gran Turismo 7, and the high-octane chaos of Need for Speed Heat, there’s a perfect ride waiting for you on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo. Buckle up and discover the ultimate picks to fuel your need for speed right now.

Racing games have been central to video game culture since day one, yet this genre still sometimes flies under the radar. Many of the games play to specialized, niche audiences, yet the genre is also vastly popular – Nintendo’s Mario Kart 8 is the fifth-best-selling game of all time. There’s also a general perception of unchanging sameness to games about getting to the finish line first, yet there’s a wide variety of racing games out there, catering to just as wide a variety of play styles. An all-ages party game like Mario Kart is obviously very different from a real-world driving sim like Gran Turismo. But there’s also a huge variation within subgenres. Among arcade racers, Burnout is intense while Wreckfest is chill, and there’s a world of difference between a mass-market motorsport game like F1 and a hobbyist sim platform like iRacing.

If you know you like racing but you’re not sure where to start – or which other corners of this gaming sphere you might want to investigate – we’re here to help you find the right fit. Below, you’ll find our picks of the best racing games to play right now, all available on current platforms, and some included in subscriptions like Game Pass and PlayStation Plus.

F1 24

$10$7086% off $10

Where to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X; included in EA Play and Game Pass Ultimate

Codemasters’ long-running and mostly reliable Formula 1 games have benefitted from a surge of interest in the sport – so much so that EA bought the studio (and its official F1 license) for over $1 billion in 2021. It was a good buy. These games get the balance between authenticity and approachability just right, with handling that is both credible and manageable – no small feat considering the ludicrous speed and cornering ability of the cars. The franchise has also delivered some surprisingly strong story modes, but the real draw is the endlessly engrossing career mode, which lets you build a racing career and drag your own team up the grid, race by race, season by season. It’s true sporting wish fulfillment.

Forza Horizon 5

$60 $60

Where to play: Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X; included in Game Pass. Coming to PlayStation 5 on April 29

Born as a spinoff to the Gran Turismo-style Forza Motorsport games, Forza Horizon has risen to become the definitive open-world racing series. Simply put, developer Playground Games gets everything right: detailed car models curated with real passion and care; atmospheric real-world locations that make for some of the best virtual tourism around; superb, smooth-running tech; handling that blends authenticity with arcade accessibility; an enormous, almost overwhelming variety of stuff to do; and an upbeat festival vibe that sometimes verges on cheesy, but mostly makes Forza Horizon one of the most joyful gaming experiences you can have. Forza Horizon 5, set in Mexico, is perhaps a little overcooked compared to some predecessors; Forza Horizon 4 is probably the series highlight, but unfortunately it’s already delisted. An Xbox and PC stalwart for years, Forza Horizon’s global domination will surely be secured by 5’s upcoming release on PlayStation 5.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

$56$607% off $56

Where to play: Nintendo Switch

Accept no substitutes. Mario Kart has been the definitive kart racing game since Nintendo invented the genre with Super Mario Kart over 30 years ago. (I know Crash Team Racing has its fans, but. come on.) And Mario Kart 8, which has sold an astonishing 75 million copies across Wii U and Switch versions, is the definitive modern Mario Kart. In fact, it’s arguably the best game in the series since Mario Kart 64. It’s a brilliant party game, of course, but also a sophisticated and rewarding racer in its own right, combining thrilling risk/reward track design, a decent level of customization, deeply satisfying boost techniques, and capricious AI that is just the right side of maddening. It’s also dazzlingly colorful and flawlessly smooth, and it boasts a furiously entertaining big-band soundtrack. Only the rather basic online racing options hold it back.

Read More $60 at Nintendo$56 at Best Buy

Gran Turismo 7

$20$6067% off $20

Where to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

The Gran Turismo series is the original “CarPG” and the life’s work of Kazunori Yamauchi, one of the most quixotic obsessives in the world of video game development. Yamauchi, who has also dabbled in professional GT racing himself, has devoted his professional life to the creation of a kind of digital pantheon of motoring history in games that are at once dryly nerdy and deeply romantic. GT7 – which centrally features a cafe where stock photos of old men regale you with facts about the car you’re driving – is as expansive and delightfully eccentric as any game in the series’ history. But it’s also easier to get along with, with a relatively open structure and a great lineup of cars and tracks honoring the series’ 30 years in production. If you’re unsure, try the recently released free taster version, My First Gran Turismo, before you buy.

iRacing

$8$1338% off $8

Where to play: Windows PC

There are few higher barriers to entry in gaming than iRacing. It requires a subscription, you can’t play it without a steering wheel, and the racing is subject to strict rules of conduct as well as ratings systems for driver safety and skill. But that’s because it’s not really a video game; it’s a virtual motorsport platform that emulates many real-world racing series, and that is used by many real-worldracing drivers to train (or to fulfill their lust for competition during the offseason). iRacing might not be the most cutting-edge sim racer out there, but it has kept pace with the field, and there’s no question that it’s the leading racing esport. Invest the time, the money, and the practice, and you’ll be rewarded with thrilling, fair competition you won’t find anywhere else, even in the most humble events.

Read More $8 at iRacing (1 month subscription)

Assetto Corsa Competizione

$12$4070% off $12

Where to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X; included in PlayStation Plus Game Catalog

If you’re after a truly authentic racing sim that offers a good offline experience and isn’t quite so intimidating as iRacing, 2019’s Assetto Corsa Competizione is still the champ. Competizione is a motorsport-focused spinoff of the upstart sim racing series from Italian studio Kunos Simulazioni, and it’s got official GT World Challenge Europe licensing (i.e., cool road cars in aggressive full racing trim). Kunos boasts what might be the best, most tactile handling model around, as well as some astonishingly true-to-life laser-scanned circuits capturing every bump and camber. There are more complete and polished packages out there, but for sheer realism and feel behind the wheel, Competizione is way out in front.

Burnout Paradise Remastered

$4$2080% off $4

Where to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox One; included in EA Play and Game Pass Ultimate

There are few older racing games on this list, partly because we’re focused on the best racers to play in the here and now, and partly because so many games in the genre become unavailable once the licenses for their cars, motorsport series, or music expire. A joyous exception is 2008’s Burnout Paradise, the apex of Criterion’s crash-happy arcade racing series, which, thanks to its lack of licensing and this 2018 remaster, is still easy to play today. It still beggars belief how well Criterion got Burnout’s nitro-fueled action and extravagant crash physics to work in this daringly free-form open-world format, even if its Paradise City location feels compact next to later examples like Forza Horizon or The Crew. A true classic.

Wreckfest

$30 $30

Where to play: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X; included in Game Pass

Wreckfest is a moderately realistic game about taking rubbish old bangers and smashing them into each other as you slither around muddy fields. A spiritual successor to the FlatOut series by original developer Bugbear Entertainment, it has a delightful and deliberate sloppiness; this is not a game about nailing the perfect apex and shaving down your lap times, it is a game about limping across the finish line with half the panels hanging off your (cheekily unlicensed) mid-1980s Jaguar XJ-S. The rough-and-ready front end only adds to the charm. In a genre that tends toward white-knuckle intensity, here’s a lean-back, devil-may-care game that’s just fun for the sake of it.

Art of Rally

$25 $25

Where to play: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

Art of Rally, from 2020, is part of a wave of retro indie racing games from around that time – games like Horizon Chase Turbo and Hotshot Racing that aimed to recapture the simple arcade thrills, iconic cars, and clean-lined, primary-color looks of the golden age of Sega racing cabinets. Art of Rally is a little different, in that it’s imagining a style of games that never was: a chill, minimalist rally title with a zoomed-out, almost isometric camera that’s all about the driver and the track. It’s impeccably cool and deeply absorbing, and its toylike renditions of the Group B rally monsters of yore – cars like the Lancia Stratos and Audi Quattro – are just adorable.

Tokyo Xtreme Racer

$30 $30

Where to play: Windows PC (early access)

Here’s an unlikely comeback. Genki’s street-racing series – variously called Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Shutokō Battle, Kaidō Battle, Import Tuner Challenge, and many other things (there’s one called Wangan Dead Heat Plus Real Arrange) – is mostly associated with the PlayStation 2, and last had a proper console release in 2006. But, amid a burst of nostalgia for 1990s and 2000s Japanese street-racing culture, it’s back – and it’s as if no time has passed at all, in a good way. This early-access release is a barebones but still thrilling throwback, excelling in nail-biting one-on-one races through eerily empty nighttime Tokyo streets in tuned-up Nissan Silvias and the like. It’s a nostalgic trip.

Which racing game offers the most exciting night and day mechanics right now

The racing game that offers the most exciting and detailed night and day mechanics right now is Project CARS 2. It features an exceptionally granular day-night cycle that players can customize up to 60 times normal speed, along with dynamic weather conditions ranging from sunny to blizzard, enhancing the immersive racing experience. This level of control over time and weather, combined with realistic tire wear, fuel burn, and mechanical failures, makes its day-night transitions particularly engaging and realistic.

Another strong contender is Need for Speed: Heat, which incorporates a cool day-and-night mechanic where daytime involves legal races to earn cash, and nighttime shifts to high-stakes underground races with intense police chases. The visual variety of Palm City under different lighting conditions adds to the excitement of racing in both bright and dark environments.

Additionally, Le Mans Ultimate (early access) stands out for its magical day-night transitions that capture the endurance racing atmosphere of the 24-hour Le Mans race, allowing players to experience realistic lighting changes over lengthy race durations.

Among these, Project CARS 2 is often praised for the most customizable and immersive day-night cycle mechanics, making it the top pick for players seeking the ultimate night and day racing experience.

How does Project CARS 2’s day-night cycle enhance the racing experience

Project CARS 2’s day-night cycle significantly enhances the racing experience by offering a highly realistic and dynamic environment that directly impacts gameplay. The game features a full 24-hour cycle where players can speed up time to witness transitions from day to night and vice versa, with the sun’s angle and position accurately modeled using GPS data. This means lighting conditions change naturally and affect visibility and track conditions in a lifelike manner.

Moreover, the cycle interacts with the weather system and track surfaces dynamically. For example, shaded areas on the track dry slower after rain compared to sunlit sections, influencing grip levels and requiring players to adapt their driving lines and tire choices accordingly. Seasonal variations also add depth, allowing races to be set in different times of the year, further affecting weather and lighting.

Visually, the day-night transitions are praised for their stunning sky colors, realistic lighting effects such as the blinding setting sun, and the way car headlights become prominent as natural light fades, creating an immersive atmosphere that heightens the sense of speed and realism. This combination of visual fidelity and gameplay impact makes Project CARS 2’s day-night cycle a core feature that elevates the overall racing simulation experience.