Best PS5 Racing Games (2026)

The best PS5 racing games right now are Gran Turismo 7 for sim racing, EA Sports WRC for rally, F1 24 for motorsport, and The Crew Motorfest or Need for Speed Unbound for open-world arcade fun. Whether you want lap-perfect simulation with a wheel or chaotic split-screen mayhem on a pad, the PS5 has the deepest racing lineup it has ever had — and the DualSense and PSVR2 make several of these the best the genre has ever felt.

Below we break the genre down by style so you can find the right fit fast, then cover wheel support, adaptive triggers, VR, and the questions real players ask. Pricing on PlayStation moves constantly, so we keep it qualitative here — when you find a title you like, check the live PS Store deals and the price history before you buy.

How we picked the best PS5 racing games

There is no single "best" racer because the genre splits hard into very different experiences. A Gran Turismo 7 purist and a Need for Speed street racer want opposite things. So instead of forcing one ranking, we grouped the standout PS5 titles by sub-genre — sim, rally and off-road, motorsport, arcade, and kart and family — and called out where each one shines. Every game listed below is genuinely available and playable on PS5. We deliberately leave out platform-exclusive franchises that are not on PlayStation (more on that in the FAQ).

Best sim racing games on PS5

Sim racing is about authentic physics, tire wear, fuel strategy, and the feeling that you are actually driving a real car at the limit. These are the games that reward a steering wheel and hours of practice.

Gran Turismo 7

Gran Turismo 7 is the flagship PS5 sim and the obvious starting point. Polyphony Digital's "real driving simulator" combines a huge car roster, gorgeous tracks, deep tuning, a proper campaign in the GT Cafe, and a constantly updated online scene. On PS5 it runs at a high frame rate with ray-traced replays, and the DualSense feedback is some of the best in any racing game. It scales beautifully too: assists on, it is approachable for newcomers; assists off with a wheel, it is a demanding simulator. If you only buy one PS5 racing game, this is it, and it is a cornerstone of any list of the best PS5 exclusives.

Assetto Corsa Competizione

Assetto Corsa Competizione is the hardcore choice. Built around GT3 and GT4 racing, it is laser-focused on accuracy — its tire model, weather, and night racing are benchmarks for console sim racing. It is less of an all-rounder than Gran Turismo and aimed squarely at players who want competitive endurance and sprint racing with a wheel. Casual players may find it punishing; sim diehards consider it essential. A follow-up entry, Assetto Corsa EVO, continues the series with an even broader scope.

Project CARS and others

The Project CARS series offered a middle ground between accessible and hardcore, with strong weather and a wide motorsport range, though availability varies. For most players, Gran Turismo 7 plus Assetto Corsa Competizione covers the full sim spectrum from welcoming to brutally authentic.

Best rally and off-road racing games on PS5

Rally swaps smooth circuits for loose surfaces, blind crests, and a co-driver calling pace notes. Off-road racing on PS5 is in great shape.

EA Sports WRC

EA Sports WRC is the current official World Rally Championship game and the best rally sim on PS5. It features lengthy, demanding stages, a full career mode, and a genuinely intimidating sense of speed on gravel, snow, and tarmac. The handling model rewards commitment and punishes mistakes, and with a wheel it is one of the most rewarding driving experiences on the console.

Dirt Rally 2.0

Dirt Rally 2.0 remains a sim-rally favorite and runs well on PS5 via backward compatibility. Its stage design and surface handling are superb, and it is frequently held up as the rally benchmark before WRC. The broader DiRT series, including the more arcade-leaning DiRT 5, gives off-road fans a spread from pure simulation to flashy, accessible fun.

Other off-road picks

For mud-plugging variety, titles like MX vs ATV Legends and the SnowRunner-style overland driving games scratch a different off-road itch. But for traditional point-to-point rally, EA Sports WRC and Dirt Rally 2.0 are the headliners.

Best motorsport and F1 racing games on PS5

If you want open-wheel racing and the real motorsport calendar, this is the category.

F1 24

F1 24 is the official Formula 1 game and the definitive single-seater experience on PS5. It includes the full licensed grid, an updated handling model, a deep career and My Team mode, and a strong online component. The DualSense communicates grip and kerbs well, and it scales from casual (lots of assists) to brutally competitive online. EA Sports and Codemasters update the F1 series annually, so newer editions follow the same template with refreshed rosters and tweaks.

F1 Manager and beyond

If you would rather run the team than drive, the F1 Manager series puts you in the principal's chair for strategy, development, and race-day calls. It is a different flavor of motorsport but a great companion to the driving game.

Best arcade racing games on PS5

Arcade racers throw realism aside for speed, style, drifting, crashes, and instant fun. This is the most crowded and most entertaining PS5 category, and many of these are perfect for the best PS5 co-op games nights with friends.

The Crew Motorfest

The Crew Motorfest is a Hawaii-set open-world racer with a relaxed, festival vibe, a massive variety of vehicles (cars, bikes, even boats and planes in the wider series), and themed playlists that keep things fresh. It is built for cruising and casual online play, making it one of the easiest arcade racers to recommend for players who want freedom over strict competition.

Need for Speed Unbound and Need for Speed Heat

Need for Speed Unbound brings a bold, graffiti-styled art direction to street racing, with a risk-reward day-night cycle and intense police chases. Need for Speed Heat is the slightly older but still excellent companion — many players prefer its progression and customization. Both deliver the classic Need for Speed fantasy: tuned street cars, neon nights, and cops on your tail.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbocharged

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbocharged turns tiny toy cars into a surprisingly deep arcade racer, with loop-the-loop orange tracks, a track editor, and tight handling. It is bright, fast, family-friendly, and great in short bursts or local play.

Wreckfest

Wreckfest is the demolition-derby king: a physics-driven banger racing game where crashing is the point. Its destruction model is glorious, the carnage is hilarious, and it has a dedicated competitive scene underneath the chaos. If you love contact racing, nothing else on PS5 does it better.

Burnout Paradise Remastered

Burnout Paradise Remastered keeps a beloved arcade classic alive on PS5. Its open-world Paradise City, signature Takedowns, and Crash mode still feel fantastic, and the remaster bundles the DLC. It is pure adrenaline arcade racing and a nostalgic must-play for fans of the genre's golden era.

Other arcade standouts

Honorable mentions include the over-the-top combat racing of titles in the GRID series for accessible touring-car action, and revival projects keeping classic arcade formulas alive. The arcade shelf is deep — you will not run out.

Best kart and family racing games on PS5

Want something the whole couch can enjoy? Kart and family racers focus on bright tracks, power-ups, and pick-up-and-play fun. (Note: the most famous kart franchise is Nintendo-only and not on PS5 — see the FAQ — but PlayStation still has solid options.)

Team Sonic Racing

Team Sonic Racing is the standout mascot kart racer on PS5, built around a clever team mechanic where you share boost and items with teammates. It has a full adventure mode, tight handling, and great local and online multiplayer. For Sonic fans and families, it is the easy pick.

LEGO 2K Drive

LEGO 2K Drive blends open-world exploration with arcade racing and LEGO charm. Vehicles transform on the fly between street, off-road, and boat forms, and there is a huge amount to do solo or in split-screen co-op. It is one of the most generous family racing packages on the console.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers and friends

The Nickelodeon Kart Racers series offers budget-friendly, character-driven kart racing aimed squarely at younger players and fans of the shows. It is not as polished as the heavyweights, but it is cheerful, accessible, and easy on the wallet when it goes on sale.

Racing wheels and DualSense

One of the biggest reasons PS5 racing feels so good is the controller. The DualSense's haptic feedback lets you feel road texture, tire slip, and ABS pulses through the pad, and the adaptive triggers add resistance to the brake and throttle so you can sense the bite point and lockups. Games like Gran Turismo 7, F1 24, and EA Sports WRC use these features heavily — it is genuinely a different experience from racing on older controllers.

For serious sim play, a dedicated racing wheel transforms these games. The PS5 supports a wide range of officially licensed wheels and pedal sets, including direct-drive and belt-driven models from the major brands. Sim titles (Gran Turismo 7, Assetto Corsa Competizione, EA Sports WRC, F1 24) all have full wheel support with force feedback. Arcade and kart racers are designed primarily for the pad, and while some accept a wheel, you generally will not need one. If you are buying a wheel, confirm your specific model is on the game's supported list, and budget for a sturdy mount or wheel stand — clamping to a desk only gets you so far once force feedback ramps up.

Gran Turismo 7 in VR

Gran Turismo 7 has full PSVR2 support, and it is one of the standout reasons to own Sony's headset. The entire game — campaign, online, time trials — can be played in VR (outside split-screen), putting you inside the cockpit with convincing scale and depth. Looking into apexes, judging braking points, and sensing speed all become dramatically more intuitive in the headset. Paired with a wheel, it is about as close to real driving as a home setup gets, and it regularly tops lists of the best PSVR2 games. If you have a PSVR2, GT7 in VR alone can justify the purchase.

PS5 racing games comparison table

How to choose the right PS5 racing game

Start with the feeling you want. If you crave realism, precision, and the payoff of mastering a corner, go sim: Gran Turismo 7 first, then Assetto Corsa Competizione or EA Sports WRC depending on whether you prefer circuits or stages. If you want instant fun, chaos, and short sessions, go arcade: The Crew Motorfest for open-world cruising, Need for Speed for street racing, Wreckfest for destruction. If you are playing with kids or on the couch with friends, go kart and family: Team Sonic Racing or LEGO 2K Drive.

Hardware matters too. Have a PSVR2? Gran Turismo 7 leaps to the top. Have a wheel or plan to buy one? Lean into the sims that support it. Only have a pad and limited time? Arcade racers will give you the most fun per minute. And because almost every one of these titles cycles through discounts, it pays to watch the PS Store deals and study the price history so you catch each game near its lowest. Many of these are also among the best PS5 games of 2026 worth keeping on your radar.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best racing game on PS5?

For most players, Gran Turismo 7 is the best racing game on PS5. It is a stunning all-rounder that scales from beginner-friendly to hardcore sim, has a huge car and track roster, gets regular free updates, and offers full PSVR2 support. If you want one racing game that does nearly everything well, GT7 is the safe pick. That said, the "best" depends on your taste — rally fans should look at EA Sports WRC, and arcade fans at The Crew Motorfest or Need for Speed.

What is the best arcade racing game on PS5?

The Crew Motorfest and Need for Speed Unbound are the top arcade racing games on PS5. The Crew Motorfest is the better choice for relaxed open-world cruising and variety, while Need for Speed Unbound delivers the classic street-racing, cops-and-customization fantasy. For destruction-focused chaos, Wreckfest is unbeatable, and Burnout Paradise Remastered remains a brilliant arcade classic.

What is the best sim racing game on PS5?

Gran Turismo 7 is the best all-around sim, while Assetto Corsa Competizione is the most hardcore. GT7 balances authenticity with accessibility and looks incredible, especially in PSVR2. Assetto Corsa Competizione is the pick if you want pure, uncompromising GT3 and GT4 racing accuracy with a wheel. For rally simulation, EA Sports WRC leads, and F1 24 is the sim of choice for open-wheel motorsport.

Are there split-screen racing games on PS5?

Yes. Several PS5 racers support local split-screen multiplayer, including LEGO 2K Drive, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbocharged, and Wreckfest, plus kart-style options. Split-screen support has shrunk across the industry compared to past generations, so always confirm a specific game's local multiplayer modes before buying if couch play is your priority. Gran Turismo 7 also offers two-player split-screen for circuit races.

What is the best racing game for beginners on PS5?

Gran Turismo 7 is a great beginner choice because its driving assists, racing line, and braking guides let newcomers learn at their own pace before turning the difficulty up. For pure pick-up-and-play fun with no learning curve, arcade and kart racers like The Crew Motorfest, Team Sonic Racing, or LEGO 2K Drive are even friendlier. Beginners who want realism without frustration should start with GT7 and ease the assists off over time.

Is Forza on PS5?

No. The Forza series — both Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon — is exclusive to Xbox and PC and is not available on PS5 or any PlayStation console. The closest PS5 equivalents are Gran Turismo 7 for the circuit-sim side (rivaling Forza Motorsport) and The Crew Motorfest for the open-world side (rivaling Forza Horizon).

Is Mario Kart on PS5?

No. Mario Kart is a Nintendo-exclusive franchise and is only available on Nintendo consoles, never on PS5. If you want kart racing on PlayStation, the best alternatives are Team Sonic Racing, LEGO 2K Drive, and the Nickelodeon Kart Racers series.

Do PS5 racing games support a steering wheel?

Yes. Most sim and motorsport racers — including Gran Turismo 7, Assetto Corsa Competizione, EA Sports WRC, Dirt Rally 2.0, and F1 24 — fully support officially licensed PS5 racing wheels with force feedback. Many arcade racers accept a wheel too, though they are designed primarily for the DualSense pad. Always check that your specific wheel model is on the game's supported list before buying.

Can you play Gran Turismo 7 in VR?

Yes. Gran Turismo 7 has full PSVR2 support, letting you play almost the entire game — career, online, and time trials — from inside the cockpit in virtual reality. It is widely considered one of the best PSVR2 experiences and a flagship reason to own the headset, especially when paired with a racing wheel.

Are PS5 racing games cross-platform with PS4?

Many racing franchises release on both PS5 and PS4, and several PS5 titles run on the older console with reduced visuals. PS5 versions generally offer higher frame rates, faster loading, better DualSense feedback, and in GT7's case PSVR2 support. If you have both consoles, buy the PS5 version where available. Cross-play between platforms varies by game, so check each title's online features.

Related guides

• Best PS5 exclusives
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