Best PS5 Racing Games

Summary: PS5 racing games divide cleanly into simulators that expect you to learn and arcade racers that just want you to have fun, and buying the wrong one is why a lot of people decide they dislike racing games. This covers the best PS5 racing games in both camps, plus what you need beyond the game itself.

• Sim and arcade racers are different hobbies that happen to share a genre name.
• A wheel transforms a simulator and does very little for an arcade racer.
• Annual sports-licensed racers are the ones most worth buying a year late.
• The best couch racing on the console is still kart racing, not driving.

Sim or Arcade: Decide This First

A simulator models weight, grip and tyre wear, and punishes you for ignoring them. An arcade racer lets you hold the accelerator down and slide through corners. Neither is better, but they attract different people, and the reviews rarely make the distinction loudly enough. If you have ten minutes and want to feel fast, you want arcade. If you want to shave half a second off a lap over a fortnight, you want a sim.

The Simulators

Gran Turismo 7 is the flagship and the reason a lot of people buy the console, with a car list and a physics model that reward patience. Assetto Corsa Competizione is the more serious option and the better choice if you intend to race online against people who take it seriously. F1 titles sit in between, offering a licensed season with assists you can dial down as you improve.

Arcade and Open-World Racing

This is where the genre is most fun with the least homework. Forza Horizon, long an Xbox staple, has made its way to PS5 and is comfortably the best open-world racer available on the platform. Need for Speed remains the pick for anyone who wants police chases and tuning over lap times. Both work well in short sessions, which matters more than it sounds.

Kart Racing and Couch Play

For a room full of people, kart racing beats driving every time, because everybody understands it in thirty seconds. Team Sonic Racing and the various kart titles on the platform handle this well. The PS5 is weaker here than the Switch, which is worth knowing if split-screen with guests is your main use case. Long sessions also make seating matter, and a racing-style chair from GTPlayer is a far cheaper upgrade than a full rig.

What You Need Beyond the Game

A wheel and pedals change a simulator completely and are close to pointless for arcade racing, so buy the game first and the hardware second. Logitech covers most of the entry-level end of that market, and the cheapest wheel there will still change how a sim feels far more than any graphics setting. Beyond that, a decent pair of headphones does the most for the sense of speed, since engine audio is how you judge when to shift.

What to Buy First

If you are unsure which camp you fall into, start with an open-world arcade racer. It costs less in patience, and it will tell you quickly whether you want to go deeper into simulation or stay where the driving is forgiving. Annual releases are the exception to buying new, since last year's edition plays almost identically at a fraction of the price, which is where a seller like CDKeys earns its keep.

To load up before the next store sale, browse PlayStation gift cards.