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 25 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 banger racing 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 budget picks, wheel support, adaptive triggers, VR, what is coming in 2026, and the questions real players ask. Prices on PlayStation move constantly, so the real trick is buying at the right moment. We track the price history on every title, so when you find a racer you like, check the live PS Store sales and the price history before you buy.

PS5 racing games at a glance

Nothing here is priced in stone. We log every markdown, so use the price history to see whether the current price is actually a good deal or just a small nudge.

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, then added budget picks and what is coming next. Every game listed below is genuinely available and playable on PS5. We deliberately leave out platform-exclusive franchises that are not on PlayStation, and we say so 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. Sony is still adding to it years after launch, with new content drops and the Sophy AI opponents raising the bar for offline racing. 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, and with the Assetto Corsa EVO console version not yet on PS5, it remains the most realistic racing simulator on Sony's machine. Built around GT3 and GT4 racing, it is laser-focused on accuracy, and 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. It also goes on sale often, so it is one of the best value entries in this whole guide.

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 is the only current rally game with fully licensed cars, teams, and locations, with over 600 kilometers of routes across gravel, snow, and tarmac. It features a full career mode and a genuinely intimidating sense of speed, and surface deformation means each pass through a stage feels different. The handling model rewards commitment and punishes mistakes, and with a wheel it is one of the most rewarding driving experiences on the console. It tends to drop in price sharply once each new season rolls out, so watch for that.

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. Because it is older, it is often extremely cheap on sale, making it one of the best-value off-road buys on the store. The broader DiRT series, including the more arcade-leaning DiRT 5, gives off-road fans a spread from pure simulation to flashy, accessible fun.

Best motorsport and F1 racing games on PS5

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

F1 25

F1 25 is the official Formula 1 game and the definitive single-seater experience on PS5. It brought noticeably improved handling that feels more intuitive at speed, plus the biggest My Team revamp since the mode launched, letting you manage a pair of drivers and their resources rather than a single driver-owner. It includes the full licensed grid, a deep career, and a strong online component, and updated season content keeps the grid current. The DualSense communicates grip and kerbs well, and it scales from casual, with lots of assists, to brutally competitive online. Like every annual sports title, it drops in price steeply once the next edition is on the horizon, so patient buyers save a lot.

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 and open-world 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. If open worlds are your thing specifically, our best PS5 open world games guide goes wider.

The Crew Motorfest

The Crew Motorfest is a Hawaii-set open-world racer with a relaxed, festival vibe, a massive variety of vehicles, and themed playlists that keep things fresh. Its playlist structure drops you into complete events without a long commitment, so it works brilliantly for short sessions. 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. It sees regular sales and bundle editions, so it is easy to pick up cheap.

Need for Speed Unbound and Need for Speed Heat

Need for Speed Unbound is the latest entry in the series and 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, and many players prefer its progression and customization. Both deliver the classic street-racing fantasy: tuned cars, neon nights, and cops on your tail. Both also discount heavily now, so this is a cheap way into open-world racing. Fans of the franchise can dig into the full back catalogue on our Need for Speed series page.

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. It is regularly very cheap on sale, which makes it one of the best-value racers on PS5. The bigger, meaner Wreckfest 2 is in early access on PC and building toward a full release with expanded arenas and new vehicle classes, so console fans have a sequel to look forward to.

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, and it is budget-friendly whenever it dips on sale.

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, and being an older remaster it is almost always cheap when discounted.

Best cheap and budget PS5 racing games

You do not need to spend full price to get a great racer. Several of the best PS5 racing games are older, remastered, or simply discounted so often that they are effectively budget titles. Assetto Corsa Competizione, Dirt Rally 2.0, Wreckfest, Burnout Paradise Remastered, and older Need for Speed entries all routinely sell for a fraction of their launch price. Team Sonic Racing and the Nickelodeon Kart Racers series sit at the friendly end of the price scale even at full price, and go lower still on sale.

The smart move is to build a wishlist and let the price come to you. Because almost every racer here cycles through discounts several times a year, checking the price history tells you whether today's price is a genuine low or just a token cut. Pair that with the live PS Store sales and you can fill a whole racing library for the price of one or two full-price games. For more ideas across every genre, see our best cheap PS5 games guide.

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. The most famous kart franchise is Nintendo-only and not on PS5, as covered in 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, and it is one of the cheapest racers here when it goes on sale.

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 and discounts frequently.

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 25, and EA Sports WRC use these features heavily, and 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 like Gran Turismo 7, Assetto Corsa Competizione, EA Sports WRC, and F1 25 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, because 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, and 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.

Upcoming PS5 racing games in 2026 and beyond

The PS5 racing calendar stays busy. F1 25 continues to receive updated season content through 2026, keeping the grid current without a full new purchase. Wreckfest 2 is in early access on PC and building toward a wider release, so a bigger, more destructive banger racer is on the horizon for console players. On the rally side, EA Sports WRC remains the only officially licensed option, with a reimagined next entry reported for further down the line, so the current game will hold the crown for a while yet. And Gran Turismo 7 keeps expanding with fresh cars, events, and AI, meaning the game you buy today will be bigger a year from now. As always, we will track each new release's price from day one, so bookmark the PS Store sales page to catch launch-window and first-sale drops.

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 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 sales and study the price history so you catch each game near its lowest. Many of these also sit 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 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, motorsport fans at F1 25, and arcade fans at The Crew Motorfest or Need for Speed Unbound.

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. With the Assetto Corsa EVO console version not yet on PS5, Assetto Corsa Competizione remains the pick if you want pure, uncompromising GT3 and GT4 accuracy with a wheel. For rally simulation EA Sports WRC leads, and F1 25 is the sim of choice for open-wheel motorsport.

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. All four discount often, so they are cheap ways into the genre.

What is the cheapest way to build a PS5 racing collection?

Wishlist the games you want and buy them on sale rather than at launch. Older and remastered racers like Wreckfest, Dirt Rally 2.0, Burnout Paradise Remastered, and past Need for Speed titles drop to a fraction of full price several times a year. Checking the price history shows whether a current price is a real low, and the live PS Store sales list shows what is discounted right now. That combination lets you fill a racing library for the cost of one or two full-price games.

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 25, 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, including 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 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. Gran Turismo 7 also offers two-player split-screen for circuit races. 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.

Related guides

• Best PS5 exclusives
• Best PS5 games of 2026
• Best PS5 open world games
• Best cheap PS5 games
• Best PSVR2 games
• Best PS5 co-op games