The adrenaline of racing to the finish line is a feeling not many video game genres can mimic. The best racing games on PS5 keep you at the edge of your seat, wanting you to rush to your much-deserved glory. On the contrary, there are racing games that test your patience, muscle-memory, and aptitude for everything that makes your vehicle worthy of the front seat.
Whether it’s drifting through cleverly designed tracks, raging against mean machines through dangerous landscapes, or tuning your engines to their finest potential – we’ve got a list for some of the best racing games you can play on your PS5 right now. Furthermore, the console’s beast-like performance ensures that your engines roar at their highest frame rates and loading times are a thing of the past.
GRID Legends (2022)
GRID is a franchise that finds its balance between arcade-like racing and realism. With its wide range of maps and cars, GRID Legends ensures that every player who tests their mettle on the racetrack has access to a car suiting their playstyle. It has more than 100 vehicles to try out and enough content to keep you engaged for hours. International circuits – both on and off track – make for the versatile racing environments you can race in.
MotoGP 23
MotoGP 23 realistically brings the best vehicles, tracks, and racers to the PS5 for bike enthusiasts. Flirting with the winds as you race at ridiculous speeds is something MotoGP is well in touch with. The series has brought endless bike enthusiasts to a world of simulation where everything feels realistic and up-to-date.
With cutting-edge visuals and full use of the Dualsense controller’s numerous features, MotoGP 23 is tailored for the PS5, allowing you to feel every bend as you cautiously brush your knee against the tarmac. Along with some flawless racing, there’s a lot of customization available, thanks to five accurate visual editors. If you’re a motorcycle enthusiast, this one tops all the best racing games on PS5.
Hot Wheels Unleashed (2021)
Hot Wheels Unleashed brings to life your childhood fantasy of racing Hot Wheels’ cars with a touch of creativity. The arcade racer blends wild toybox tracks with modern racing dynamics. The physics-defying tracks and spectacular challenges in this game will excite any Hot Wheels enthusiast who gives it a spin. The wide range of vehicles in Hot Wheels Unleashed are all based on actual toy cars. In addition, prestigious historic cars and enjoyable crossover features are added by the game’s numerous DLC packs.
Destruction Allstars (2021)
Destruction Allstars has a witty way of combining destruction, kart racing, and competitiveness. It emphasizes on wild gameplay, excitement, and multiplayer mayhem. With its clear and clean aesthetics, it appeals to the modern gamer who is fan of simple-yet-challenging design. It’s one of the best racing games on PS5 if you’re craving a speed-carnage combo.
The idea is straightforward: You choose a racer, get inside a big stadium, and bash against the closest racer in your view. The objective here is to destroy everyone who drives in your path while utilizing special abilities and eccentric vehicles.
Dirt 5 (2021)
The Dirt series quite often accelerated to the top as one of the best off-road rally experiences you can have in a virtual world. Dirt 5 is the strongest game to date, harnessing the console’s powerful system in every way possible. Dirt has never looked or performed better because of its numerous graphics settings and features, including Ray Tracing and a 120 frames-per-second performance mode. Dirt 5’s transition to a more arcade-esque gameplay may not appeal to everyone, but it certainly keeps the franchise’s charm alive and roaring.
Wreckfest (2014)
Wreckfest is the ultimate destruction power trip for anyone looking to drive their car’s wheel into the most dangerous conditions. The PS4’s version of the game had its own set of issues, but this rendition of Wreckfest brings out the game’s potential on PS5. Driving unsafe cars and ramming drivers feels way more fun with upgraded graphics and better framerates. Wreckfest is a terrific experience, ramming AI against obstacles, playing co-op, or competing against strangers online. Despite being the oldest game on this list, it deservedly shines as one of the best racing games on PS5 right now.
F1 2023
F1 2023 brings the ultimate Formula 1 experience to a console worthy of its hype. Fan or not, you have to admire the accuracy of F1 games. F1 23 stands apart from the competition, thanks to its brand-new modes, graphic improvements, and revised physics model that complies with the important regulatory changes that will fundamentally alter the sport in 2023. The most fascinating takeaway is the Braking Point 2 story mode, which makes it one of the best racing games on PS5. Along with fresh updates, older tracks have had their layouts updated to match real-world ones. Armed with the best F1 23 setups, you can live your F1 dream and race to the top of the podium every time.
Gran Turismo 7 (2022)
Gran Turismo is the poster child of racing games throughout different PlayStation eras. When it comes to racing simulation games, Gran Turismo paved its path as an authentic racer that feels special to PlayStation fans. As always, the truly outstanding visuals are what gives out the initial ‘woah!’ factor to Gran Turismo 7. This game’s solid vehicle mechanics and smooth performance might just confuse screenshots for genuine photos taken in real life. There are best racing games on PS5, and then there’s GT7, the greatest.
Redout 2 (2022)
Redout 2 is all about speed. It’s the ‘fastest’ racing game you’ll ever play, with vehicles that break the sound barrier and play with gravity. The sci-fi racer puts you in the seat of a breathtaking anti-gravity experience that feels like a spiritual successor of Wipeout. Even on the easiest settings, Redout 2 can feel daunting. You’ll need to maneuver and time your reflexes correctly to make the best of the track.
Need For Speed: Unbound (2022)
Unbound is easily a contender for the most stylish game in the series yet. Similar to previous games, NFS Unbound features campaign racing followed by hardcore police pursuits. The game shuffles between day and night cycles which shift your gameplay. During the day, earn credits by participating in events and challenges. During the night, drift around the city while escaping all the ‘heat’ you’ve gained throughout the day.
The cop chase sequences during the night feel dangerous and brim with the classic Need for Speed charm. Thanks to the DualSense, you can feel gear changes and road imperfections as if you were actually inside the car. This gives drifting a new weight. Plus, it’s a sight to behold with its vibrant cel-shaded graphics and Lakeshore’s realistic metropolis.
These were our picks for the best racing games on PS5. While the DualSense is a wonderful controller that does justice to the genre, you can always shift gears up a notch by trying out a Racing Wheel for your console. There are many to choose from, and some games (like F1) are built for realistic simulation for you to dive deeper into.
How do you play racing games? On a controller or a wheel? Let us know in the comments below.
