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The 10 Best PS5 Racing Games

Published

9 months ago

July 25, 2023

What are the best PS5 racing games?

Next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 5 have helped make the racing genre more realistic and fun than ever, but there are a lot of them to choose from.

However, while there are a lot of racing games you can play, some stand out as ones you can’t afford to miss.

We’ve rounded up 10 of the top PS5 racing games you can play right now so that you can quickly find your next favorite!

The 10 Best PS5 Racing Games

Our ranked lists are created by researching and rounding up information from the most reputable web sources.

Here’s our list of the 10 best PS5 racing games:

10. Riders Republic

If extreme sports is your thing, you’re going to love Riders Republic because this Ubisoft game includes mountain biking, snowboarding, skiing, and wingsuit flying.

As an MMO sports game, Riders Republic allows you to compete with up to 64 players in huge racing competitions or go 6v6 in the competitive Tricks Battle Arena.

You can also tackle the career mode, where you can try six different sports, each of which progresses along its own unique path.

The game also looks incredible and features seven distinct districts: Bryce Canyon, Sequoia Park, Zion, Mammoth Mountain, and Grand Teton, to name a few.

There are also many social hubs where you can interact with other online players and meet people to play with or against.

While it may not be as well-known as Need for Speed or Gran Turismo, Riders Republic is fun and worth a try if you’re a fan of fast-paced sports games.

9. Art Of Rally

Although you can play many rally games right now, this one sets itself apart thanks to its unique style.

Played from a top-down perspective, Art of Rally has both a career mode and a free-roam mode where you can explore all over the map.

As you progress through career mode, you will be able to unlock new cars, but be aware that your car can be damaged during races, which will affect its performance!

In free play, you can use any car you’ve previously unlocked and hunt down collectibles or participate in daily and weekly challenges.

While its map isn’t as large as those found in the best open-world PS4 games, it is still substantial, with a lot of room to roam and drive through.

Overall this game has a very indie-style vibe, but the driving mechanics are on point, and the art style is gorgeous despite not being photo-realistic.

It is definitely something you can sit back and enjoy even if you’re not in the mood to be super competitive.

8. MotoGP 21

If you’re in the mood to race but don’t want to be confined to a car, MotoGP 21 is a game you should definitely check out.

This game gives you the ability to go 200mph on a motorcycle, which is incredibly satisfying (until you crash).

Fortunately, MotoGP 21 is filled with in-depth tutorials to teach you how to race motorbikes, since the gameplay is a bit different than you may be used to in car racing games.

With the single-player career mode, you can control an up-and-coming racer who has to work their way through the ranks of professional racing.

One neat mechanic is that you can have full control over your racing team, tweaking things to make it uniquely suited to your playstyle.

While going fast on a motorcycle does take some getting used to, once you have the controls down, it’s hard to stop playing!

7. WRC 10

The tenth game in the World Rally Championship series, WRC 10, is filled with dynamic stages, a variety of cars, and loads of tiny details that really bring it to life.

While the series started out in 2001 as one of the best PS2 games ever created, this installment takes everything to a whole new level as it celebrates 50 years of rally racing.

In this game, you can take part in historical races dating back to the 1970s, with the goal of beating the best times set by the real-life competitors.

There are also 19 countries you can compete in and a variety of unique tracks to choose from, with 120 different races in total to complete.

The anniversary mode races also come with little snippets before the action starts that tell you a bit about why that race is historically significant to the sport.

If you’re interested in rally racing, this is a phenomenal game to pick up, and it is as fun as it is educational about the sport!

6. Hot Wheels Unleashed

Almost everyone had at least one Hot Wheels car when they were a kid, and this game allows you to actually get behind the wheel of them and race them around some insane tracks!

This game takes one of the world’s biggest toys and allows you to race them through numerous tracks set up in locations like a garage, a bedroom, and a kitchen.

Upon launch, 66 cars were available to take through a career mode, time trials, and track editor, which enabled you to make your own tracks.

There is also an online multiplayer mode that supports up to 12 players, or you can compete via split-screen multiplayer against friends locally.

When it launched in 2021, Hot Wheels Unleashed was the fourth best-selling title in the UK, and since then, it has grown to include numerous pieces of DLCs and expansions.

Some of the content added to the game includes a Looney Tunes expansion, a Batman expansion, a Monster Truck expansion, and numerous additional vehicles.

Your inner kid definitely needs this game, especially if you were someone who collected Hot Wheels as a child.

It really is an addictingly fun game, no matter how old you are!

5. GRID Legends

The fifth installment in the Grid franchise, this game boasts 100 vehicles ranging from touring cars and semi-trailer trucks to electric cars and stadium trucks.

It also comes with a whopping 130 tracks that you can compete on, including real-life circuits like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Suzuka International Racing Course.

You also have the option to create your own races, obstacles, rules, and vehicle restrictions, something that you were never able to do in previous games.

For the first time, Grid Legends also includes a career mode, which is surprisingly narrative-focused, and the developers used virtual set technology and professional actors for a cinematic appearance.

Since being released, the game has received three DLCs, adding additional tracks, cars, modes, and cut scenes.

Although this game isn’t as widely known as Need for Speed Heat, it is an absolute gem and a must-play if you love racing games.

4. Wreckfest

If a traditional race track seems too tame, Wreckfest has got you covered by giving you the opportunity to jump into derby racing.

Unlike many other racing games, Wreckfest features soft-body damage modeling, which allows for dynamic damage to vehicles that looks and feels realistic.

Wreckfest most prominently features demolition derby and banger racing, but you can also play through the career mode, play online multiplayer, or create custom events for yourself.

Each race focuses on aggressive driving, and you must learn to balance between ramming opponents and defending your own vehicle.

You can also buy new vehicles throughout the game and customize and upgrade them to suit your needs during various races.

While the game[lay rules are similar to other racing games, being able to crash into other players and drive like a bat out of hell really ups the ante and gives the game its own unique flavor.

This is undoubtedly the best racing game on the PS5 if you want destruction, damage, and fast-paced action.

3. Dirt 5

Dirt 5 can trace its roots back to 2007, when the first game of its name was released as one of the best Xbox 360 games of all time, though the series itself dates back to 1998.

This game is focused on off-road racing, and in its campaign, you play as an up-and-coming racer trying to make a name for themselves as a rally driver.

The campaign consists of five chapters and 130 unique events you can complete to become number one.

However, you don’t have to do every event in order to proceed, and there is also multiplayer that you can use to compete against other players.

What makes this game really shine is its dynamic weather system that models seasons and weather conditions that impact the race tracks, with some only being available during specific seasons.

You can race along tracks in several different locations, including Italy, China, New York, Norway, and South Africa, to name a few.

Dirt 5 is a gorgeous game to play through, and it is very hard to put down once you start playing because you’ll want to keep unlocking new tracks to compete on!

2. F1 2022

Developed by Codemasters and published by EA Sports, F1 2022 gives you the ability to live out your dreams of being a professional F1 racer.

This game features a new story mode, a career mode, and a customizable hub where players can collect supercars, accessories, and clothing for their characters.

There are also many updates to the physics of the game and a new track list that includes the Miami International Autodrome and the Algarve International Circuit.

F1 22 features adaptive AI that adjusts accordingly to players’ performance, ensuring that no race is ever too easy.

Best of all, the game also supports virtual reality, so you can really feel like you’re jumping into the driver’s seat!

You can also jump into the multiplayer mode to race against other players online or compete against your friends to see who is the best racer.

This game has a little bit of everything, but we love how much it feels like real life and how every track presents a new and unique challenge while racing.

1. Gran Turismo 7

Taking our number one spot is one of the best racing games of all time, and it is one that you absolutely have to play for yourself.

Gran Turismo 7 boasts over 400 cars that you can collect and race, all of which look exactly like their real-life counterparts.

While many features return from previous games, for the PS5, the game now supports real-time ray tracing, 3D spacial audio, 4K resolution, and 60 fps with HDR.

There are also dynamic time and weather effects, which make playing through the campaign feel incredibly realistic and immersive.

However, like Forza Horizon, this game requires a constant internet connection to save progress unless you’re in arcade mode, so keep that in mind before jumping in.

That said, despite its flaws, Gran Turismo 7 is still an amazing game with over 2,000 real-world locations that you can choose to race in.

Not only is it a huge game, but with all the next-gen graphics updates, it looks absolutely gorgeous, so you’ll definitely find yourself taking lots of screenshots while playing!

Gran Turismo 7 is a must-have for anyone who loves racing games, and if you haven’t picked it up yet, you’re really missing out!

Summary

If you need speed but don’t want to get a speeding ticket in real life, you’ll want to pick up these fantastic games!

Not only do they allow you to live out your racing fantasies, but they all demonstrate how great next-gen gaming truly is.

So the next time you’re itching to go fast, drop yourself into the driver’s seat and experience for yourself why each of these games is the best you can play right now.

Here’s a quick recap of the 10 best PS5 racing games: