The PS5 might be early in its life cycle but it already has impressive titles for every genre, including some standout racing games. The console’s capabilities, including real-time ray tracing and superfast streaming from its NVMe drive, offers serious advancements for racing games just as they have for shooters like Call of Duty or Destiny 2.
These are the most notable racing titles on the PlayStation 5 at the moment.
MotoGP 21
Key Features
- Features over 120 riders, over 20 circuits.
- Customize appearance and bike
- Utilizes PS5 Haptic Feedback for Immersive Racing
The MotoGP games are the official tie-in for the popular racing MotoGP World Championship, bringing licensed drivers, cars, and tracks like you’d expect. However, this one has a bit more going for it than just a yearly update. MotoGP 21 attracted a lot of attention in late 2021, when a clip of the game’s first-person action caught the internet’s attention for its lifelike visuals.
The game features some impressive realistic mechanics like brake temperatures, tire wear, and general improvements to the management side of the game. The main draw here is the career mode, putting you in the shoes of a competitor in the circuits. There’s a high level of control with your bike and team development. This gives career mode a real sense of progression.
F1 2021
Key Features
- Ten-year long career mode, with a contract system and a driver market
- Full support for DualSense’s adaptive triggers
- Officially licensed cars and circuits from F1
When it comes to professional racing, Formula One is the premier competition. F1 2021 is the most recent iteration of the official game, with licensed drivers, cars, circuits, and tracks. It’s also the first F1 game to have full support for next-gen consoles, including the adaptive trigger support on the PS5. The triggers will dynamically loosen and tighten to give you a better feeling for how your car is handling in-game, making the experience more realistic for controller users.
The game also features online and social matches, even a ranked mode online. This is a great racing game for the PS5, especially for those who follow F1.
Hot Wheels Unleashed
Key Features
- Local and online multiplayer up to 12
- Alter tracks with unique designs
- Share or download others’ race tracks
Hot Wheels Unleashed is more of a casual racing game but it features unique hooks. Playing with Hot Wheels toy cars comes with a different feel for the controls. The toy cars feature fun designs and a high level of customization. A unique mechanic here involves extensive racetrack customization.
The elaborate toy box designs and dynamic courses echo some of the best Mario Kart levels. Hot Wheels Unleashed is more than a tie-in for Hasbro: it’s one of the best PS5 racing games out there.
Riders Republic
Key Features
- Up to 64-players on PS5 version
- Highly customizable avatars
- Runs at 60 FPS
Rider’s Republic features mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, and even wingsuit flying. The main attraction here is a 64-player battle royale of tricks. Players have to rack up points across matches in a racing game twist to the mass-multiplayer format. The PS5 version of this event is considerably better than the PS4 experience, which only supports 20 players per game.
Alongside the giant battle arenas, there are more standard modes too. There are progression career modes for each of the styles of racing, alongside smaller competitive 6 v 6 matches. Rider’s Republic is pretty different from other best PS5 Racing Games featured here, but it is a unique take on the genre.
WRC 10
Key Features
- Features offical WRC content including historic rallies
- Realistic physics engine
- Competative online matches
WRC10 is the official game for the World Rally Championship and one of the premier simulator PS5 racing games. This title makes use of a physics engine that makes racing different, catering the experience to the details of the track all the way down to the feel of the surface of the road.
The game offers a great spread of modes including an in-depth career and more competitive modes. The ranked side even has a decent esports community.
Wreckfest
Key Features
- High level of customization
- Realistic destruction
- Wide options for cars
Lots of the games recreate driving a clean car designed for speed, but what about an old beater? That’s what Wreckfest is going for. This game has damaged old cars fixed back up to handle in unique ways. Players can customizable their cars, even adding body armor.
The cars might look lived-in but the game itself is visually impressive. You can even make use of vehicles like crop harvesters, lawnmowers, and school buses. Wreckfest should grab the attention of any racing fan who is drawn to the more chaotic side of things.
Gran Turismo 7 25th Anniversary Edition
Key Features
- Uses haptic feedback
- Optimized for 4K resolution and 60 FPS
- Most expansive Gran Turismo yet
Gran Turismo is the PlayStation racing franchise, much the same way Forza is Xbox. Gran Turismo 7 is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated next-gen games, especially given the franchise’s penchant for gorgeous graphics, environments and highly detailed models.
The first iteration in the series since GT Sport in 2017, GT7 will fully utilise the DualSense’s haptic feedback controllers, 3D audio, and real-time ray tracing. PS5 users will get a game targeting 4K resolution at 60 frames per second in HDR, provided you have a compatible TV/monitor.
While the game isn’t out yet, all the footage so far has been pretty promising. Sony has already released footage of the game’s Deep Forest Raceway track, as well as in-engine gameplay from a race on the Daytona International Speedway.
Those are our top picks for the best PS5 racing games available at the moment. These games push the PS5 to the limits of what it can do, with realistic gameplay and great use of the expanded power on the new console. Between these, there is something to scratch that racing itch no matter what type of game you’re looking for.
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