It was only a few years ago that racing games were constrained to the constraints of two-dimensional game design. Players observed the events on screen from a top-down viewpoint, taking bends as they came, frequently at break-neck speeds. In 2022, it’s a whole different story, since there are driving games to accommodate just about every taste and aptitude level.

Whether you’re seeking to go for a leisurely drive, or you want to take things a bit more seriously, every platform drift hunters has something to offer. In this list, we will strive to include driving games that appeal to all preferences to represent the top racing games for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

So strap up, pull the hand-break and let’s race through the finest driving games you can play this year:

F1 2021

While the controversy surrounding the last race (or rather, lap) of the 2021 F1 World Championship is set to linger for some time yet, at least we can be happy there was no similar hullabaloo with last year’s main F1 video game. Building on the series’ history by introducing a new narrative mode, and a variety of welcome tweaks, F1 2021 was one of the most exciting versions to date. Developed by Codemasters (responsible for numerous games like TOCA Race Driver and the DIRT series), it’s a realistic replica of one of the most popular motorsports in the world.

Featuring an up-to-date roster of drivers, vehicles, and courses, in F1 2021 users may compete seasons, run their own F1 team, and even take part in the new Braking Point narrative mode. Playing as a young rookie called Aiden Jackson, players will start in Formula 2 and make their way up to Formula 1. The new option adds drama to races, since you’ll go head to head with a competitor. You know, like the famous grudge-fest between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, except in the virtual world and with significantly less sabotage.

Creating a realistic picture of a highly complex sport is no trivial undertaking, but the makers customize F1 2021’s gameplay to all ability levels. If you’re simply wanting to relive your beloved sport, there are several assist alternatives to pick from. Looking for more of a challenge? You may alter the game’s level and physics to fit your abilities.

Forza Horizon 5

Moving fast on from the sandstone and sleet that peppered the roads in Forza Horizon 4 – AKA the ultimate road trip across the UK in video game form – the latest chapter of the legendary Xbox driving sim arrives in Mexico. Quite literally, in fact, as players must first drive a vehicle from an aircraft in a feat in madcap Fast & Furious manner.

There are plenty of blockbuster set-pieces in Forza Horizon 5, but when it come to the basics e-racing fans won’t be disappointed: the driving feels extra special, and, as flagged in the NME review, you never feel like the car is battling you to stay on the track, the sense of speed is immense without feeling like you’re about to fly off into a ditch, and the generous rewind feature and driving line mean that you don’t have to worry about being perfect, you just need to focus on the fun.

The laboriously built Mexican terrain will be by far one of the nicest sights you’ve ever had the pleasure of driving a fictional automobile through, while the sheer quantity of cars to smash it up with will keep you occupied for some time. Forza Horizon 5 is a visual marvel on Xbox Series X.

Gran Turismo Sport

Fans and critics slammed Gran Turismo Sport on release because of its lack of substance. However since launch, developer Polyphony Digital has introduced more vehicles, new circuits and even a VR feature for PlayStation VR after release. Rather of postponing yet another Gran Turismo game, the creators published a cut-back form of the game and has developed it with the community since release.

Sport includes the tight controls and handling associated with the series plus a variety of tweaking and performance options for those who truly want to get involved in. In its present incarnation, Gran Turismo Sport is a decent sim-racer that focuses on online play rather than single-player content. There is a career mode, time trials and an offline league, but most players will want to attempt the online options to get the most out of the game.

Having sold an estimated 8 million copies, Gran Turismo Sport is the most popular driving game on PS4, and with good reason. Sport builds on the tradition created by its predecessors. However, it also lays up the series’ future with its concentration on competitive racing and online play. It’s the finest racing game you can play on PlayStation, at least until Gran Turismo 7 (see the newest teaser here) launches sometime next year.

Dirt Rally 2.0

DiRT Rally 2.0 is the ideal rally driving experience. Featuring 8 real-world locales, 36 varied stages, and numerous classic licensed automobiles, DiRT Rally 2.0 presents gamers with one of the most true-to-life simulations of rally driving. You’ll rocket through trees at breakneck speeds, hurl your vehicle sideways around bends and spend more time than you realized attempting to improve your run-times.

What makes DiRT Rally 2.0 such a terrific driving game is the devotion to delivering a real rally experience. Driving assistance are offered, however there is no rewind capability. All of your errors are your own, whether you crash on the first bend or the last. Knowing failure is just ever a collision away makes every race seem anxious. Falling behind in each sector? You may drive the automobile harder to make up time, but push too hard and you’ll end up striking a tree.

Unlike previous driving games, 2.0’s automobiles are rebellious, strong machines that need to controlled. Driving with a steering wheel is actually a full-body exercise and even controllers give a good degree of sensation. This is particularly true of the game’s Group B rally vehicles, which pulled from one of rally driving’s most deadly periods. DiRT Rally 2.0 is violent, merciless, and exciting in equal measure. It brilliantly represents the continual risk of rally driving yet condenses it into an engaging and realistic experience.

iRacing

Likely the least recognised title on our list, iRacing is the game of choice for esports aficionados. Released in 2008 and produced by iRacing.com, iRacing describes itself as “the world’s top motorsports racing game” and does so with good cause. It isn’t as attractive as other games here, but there’s a reason it remains the apex of motor-esports.

iRacing gives a true-to-life genuine and realistic driving experience. Everything from suspension to tire differential and even brake bias may be modified. Cars on the track handle close to their real-life counterparts. The depth of iRacing’s realism is such that many professional F1 and Nascar drivers use it to train before competitions.

With competitive racing leagues, over 70 circuits, and an outstanding array of licensed vehicles, iRacing gives users with enough to get into into. Competitive racing leagues give a digital racing career for gamers to lap up. You’ll make your way up the ranks by winning races and driving carefully. Those who really want to take it up a level may play iRacing with a steering wheel arrangement, which is how the professionals play it.

Wreckfest

Wreckfest is a scrappy driving game that harnesses the raw roughness of demolition derby video games and real-life events. Developer Bugbear Entertainment’s unique destructive mechanics unfold in real-time, making every vehicle a target. Each component feature of an automobile may damaged, crumpled and removed, with a remarkable degree of precision.

It’s the diversity on offer that makes it such an engaging driving game. There are several racing options, including blatant destruction-based events, classic stadium races, and events using modified furniture trucks. Wreckfest puts those demolition mechanics to fantastic use, providing exciting races that can alter on the flip of a coin. Trade paint with other drivers too much and you’ll permanently harm your automobile. Damage impacts vehicle performance, which might influence how your automobile operates.

It may lack the refinement of other games on our list. But Wreckfest gives an experience that very few car games can. It challenges players to be mindful of the area surrounding the automobile and punishes players for driving carelessly. Watching an automobile crumble into bits after a big wreck or collision is also satisfying on a fundamental human level. We all enjoy a good wreck, providing no one gets harmed.

SnowRunner

The adventure is the focus of SnowRunner. Instead of competing against other drivers, you must overcome obstacles such as sand, dirt, water, snow, and ice. The gameplay revolves on the experience of driving. Instead of racing around the track at breakneck speeds, you’ll be delivering packages.

The driving mechanics in SnowRunner are unlike those in previous games. You may enhance traction by adjusting the differential lock, use all-wheel drive. And even employ a winch to free yourself from sticky circumstances. You need to know the ins and outs of how a truck (or other vehicle) operates to be successful. It’s a blast getting to know and master SnowRunner’s cars. The feats of endurance you achieve in the first few hours of the game will astonish you.

SnowRunner’s calming qualities lie in the contrast between. The tense moments of escaping a muddy bog and the triumphant ascent of an icy slope. One of the best ways to relax is to get in the car and drive about, soaking in the sights. And sounds of the countryside while listening to your favorite podcast. SnowRunner is a fun change of pace from standard racing games.