10 Best PS5 Racing Games You Should Play

Line up on the starting grid.

Gran Turismo 7

Purely on the strength of its DualSense controller alone, the PS5 feels like the best place to play racing games. Being able to feel the rumble of the car on the track through the controller’s adaptive triggers is something that helps the immersion of any racing game to no end. Also, it just makes any awesome drift even more satisfying. However, what are the best PS5 racing games you should be playing?

For this list, we’re only focusing on games that have been enhanced in some way for the PS5. While there’s plenty of awesome PS4 racing games that are backwards compatible with the PS5, games like Burnout Paradise Remastered haven’t been enhanced for the new hardware. We’ve also omitted Destruction AllStars and Rocket League from this list because they’re just not racing games. With that in mind, here’s the best racing games available on PS5 that you should know about.

 

The Best PS5 Racing Games

10. Hot Wheels Unleashed

Hot Wheels Unleashed
Hot Wheels Unleashed

Developer: Milestone
Publisher: Milestone

The Hot Wheels franchise of toys has been around for decades, so an arcade racing game based on those little toys feels like a no-brainer. Hot Wheels Unleashed is the product of that idea, and if you’re looking for a good arcade racing game experience on your PS5, look no further than this one.

Hot Wheels Unleashed leans heavily into the idea of toys coming to life, as you’ll race across tracks found in a variety of locations. If you’ve ever wanted to see a massive Hot Wheels track spread out across a skyscraper or skate park, this is the game for you, though you gotta make sure you avoid the giant spider firing webs at you.

While it might not be the most refined game on this list, Hot Wheels Unleashed is a perfect game for those either looking for quick, arcadey fun, or a good racing game for the kids to enjoy.

 

9. Riders Republic

Riders Republic
Riders Republic

Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft

A racing game doesn’t need cars or motorbikes to be a racing game, and Riders Republic proves that pretty effectively. While you might have to spend your time with the game listening to dudebros throw out cringey one-liners with reckless abandon, Riders Republic also perfects the art of going downhill really fast.

Riders Republic sticks players in an open world sandbox based on a hodge podge of American national parks and tells players to do what they love. What they love could be mountain biking, snowboarding, skiing, wingsuit racing, jetpacks and snowmobiles, as you could progress through the various different disciplines in any way you want.

As racing games go, Riders Republic is about as diverse as it gets, making it one of the best PS5 racing games you can buy.

 

8. Grid Legends

Grid Legends
Grid Legends

Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Codemasters’ Grid series has always focused on blurring the line between arcade fun and racing simulation, but Grid Legends could be the best fusion between the two that the series has seen yet. If you want all the fun of competitive motorsport without being bogged down too much by engine tuning and other petrolhead focused features, Grid Legends is worth checking out.

With over 100 cars and 130 tracks, including both real-life and street circuits, along with a Story Mode titled “Driven To Glory”, there’s plenty of entertainment waiting for you at Grid Legends’ start line. Of course, if all those tracks aren’t enough for you, Grid Legends even has a race creator feature, allowing you to create endless amounts of fun.

If nothing else, Grid Legends leans heavily into all aspects of motorsport, so if the idea of racing semi-trucks is appealing to you, Grid Legends is undoubtedly one of the best PS5 racing games out there.

 

7. MotoGP 21

MotoGP 21
MotoGP 21

Developer: Milestone
Publisher: Milestone

Despite professional motorbike racing being just as, if not more popular than four-wheeled racing like F1, it feels like motorbike racing games just don’t get the same level of exposure and respect as other racing games. Still, if you want a brilliant depiction of racing on two wheels, MotoGP 21 is the game for you.

The officially licensed racing game for the MotoGP championship, MotoGP 21 is a huge celebration of the sport, both historically and in its current form. The game includes the full 2021 season, with all the licensed riders, teams and tracks for MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3, along with a full suite of legendary riders and bikes for those who like to reminisce on the good old days.

While it might not have as many wheels as the rest of the competition on this list, MotoGP 21 is still one of the best PS5 racing games you can play.

 

6. Art Of Rally

Art of Rally
Art of Rally

Developer: Funselektor Labs Inc.
Publisher: Funselektor Labs Inc.

While Art of Rally might stand out amongst a list filled with high resolution graphics and realistic depictions of racing, it’s no less worthy of a place on this list. In fact, despite being an exciting and thrilling game to play, there’s a serene quality to Art of Rally’s lo-fi aesthetic, making it just as peaceful as it is brilliant.

A love letter to the sport of rally and its history, Art of Rally is a beautiful depiction of cars going sideways fast in the dirt. Focusing on the “golden era” of rally between the 60s and 80s, Art of Rally recreates lots of the vintage cars you’d expect from that time, and has players travelling all over the world across 70 different stages.

Of course, if that sounds a bit too exciting for you, there’s always the free roam mode, which lets you explore and find collectibles at your own pace. If you’re looking for a chill racing game that’s just you versus the road, Art of Rally is one of the best PS5 racing games you could buy.

 

5. WRC 10

WRC 10
WRC 10

Developer: Kylotonn, KT Racing
Publisher: Bigben Interactive, Nacon

From tributes to rally to the officially licensed product, WRC 10 continues the long running series tradition of providing the best rally experience possible. If you’re even a passing fan of the sport of rally, WRC 10 is the game for you, and even if you’re not, it’s still fun to just slide cars around in the countryside with no consequences.

The official video game of the 2021 World Rally Championship, WRC 10 includes all 12 stages for the year’s season, along with all the cars and sponsorships that come with it. On top of that, WRC 10 coincides with the 50th anniversary of the WRC, meaning there’s plenty of historical Group B cars for players to muck around in too.

If travelling across the world and competing at the highest level of rally sounds like a great time for you, WRC 10 is the game for you.

 

4. Wreckfest

Wreckfest
Wreckfest

Developer: Bugbear
Publisher: Bugbear, THQ Nordic

Not all of the best racing games on the PlayStation 5 have to be squeaky clean, respectful races where no one gets their paint so much as scratched, so it’s great that games like Wreckfest exist, which focuses on the destructive elements of racing to make for a wonderful racing experience. If you like racing dirty and ramming your competition into the nearest wall, Wrestfest should be right up your alley.

As a destruction derby racer, you’ll work your way through various championships, earning new cars and upgrades along the way. Some championships will see you smashing up cars in classic figure-of-eight or oval tracks, while others place you in arenas as a school bus and task you with taking out a fleet of lawnmowers.

Just because Wreckfest doesn’t take itself too seriously doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be considered one of the best PS5 racing games you can buy.

 

3. Dirt 5

Dirt 5
Dirt 5

Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Codemasters

Codemasters’ Dirt series has been around for a good while now. While some might prefer Dirt Rally, which hyper-focuses on pure rallying, the main Dirt series is more concerned with just offroad driving fun. Dirt 5 turns that dial up to 11, proving to be the best entry in the entire series with a few key upgrades.

The Career Mode is more involved than most, pitting the player character against a rival voiced by Nolan North, while your mentor is voiced by Troy Baker. Good voices don’t make racing games great though, so fortunately, a healthy selection of modes and tracks from across the world help ensure there’s always something new and interesting around the corner.

Of course, if the pre-made events aren’t enough for you, you can always just head online and download one of the thousands of player created events, which means an infinite amount of fun.

 

2. F1 2021

F1 2021 review
F1 2021 review

Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Electronic Arts

If the Netflix documentary series Drive To Survive is anything to go by, Formula 1 is a hotbed for drama both on and off the track, but F1 2021 is the first game to really capture that side of the F1. With the Braking Point story mode, you get to experience a narrative told through multiple angles about a team struggling to come together as they deal with both internal and external pressures.

If the story mode isn’t your bag, F1 2021 is still a huge gameplay improvement over the previous games in the series. Fans of F1 will appreciate the more accurate visual presentation, while those looking for a multiplayer racing game experience will enjoy that you can play the career mode as two players, either as rivals or even as teammates.

F1 2021 might be a tough sell for those who aren’t sold on the real life championship, but it’s still one of the best racing games available on PS5.

 

1. Gran Turismo 7

Gran Turismo 7
Gran Turismo 7

Developer: Polyphony Digital
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony’s flagship racing game series, there couldn’t be any other first place entry on the best PS5 racing games than Gran Turismo 7. While it might be a bit too simulation-heavy for some, there’s still a tonne of accessibility there for those who want to experience some casual racing thrills. You might also get a history lesson about Japanese hatchbacks, but that’s neither here nor there.

Gran Turismo 7 is Sony and Polyphony Digital’s grand love letter to automotive culture as a whole, so if you’re looking to race in everything from a Bugatti Veyron to a Willys Jeep, and everything in between, Gran Turismo 7 is the game for you. With real and fictional tracks set across the world, along with some of the prettiest graphics you’ll ever see, Gran Turismo 7 is probably going to be the best looking game you’ll own on PS5.

With brilliant gameplay, excellent graphics and plenty of content to sink your teeth into, Gran Turismo 7 is the best racing game on PS5.

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