Not many gaming experiences match the thrill of a good Sim Racing game. This is the perfect genre for racing fans who want a lifelike driving experience without having to step in a car. Some of these games have accurate physics and try to match the driving experience you would get in real life, while some are more arcadey but fun nonetheless.
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Best Racing Games For Beginners
From Forza Horizon 5 to Hot Wheels Unleashed, there are a ton of racing games on the market; but which ones are the best introduction to the genre?
This list will rank some of the best sim racing games out there based on their popularity, how realistic they are, and their selection of cars and tracks. Most of these games will also provide a great racing experience regardless of your peripherals.
10 Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport (2023)
- Platform(s)
- PC , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Released
- October 10, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Turn 10 Studios
Although the racing mechanics of this game are slightly more arcadey, Forza Motorsport is still a great Sim Racing game regardless. Boasting a huge collection of over 500 cars and plenty of tracks, this game never gets boring and always keeps you entertained.
The graphics of this game are also incredible and are undoubtedly the best on this list. The only part where this game falls behind is its slightly unrealistic driving mechanics and how clunky its multiplayer can feel.
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9 Gran Turismo 7
Gran Turismo 7
- Platform(s)
- PS4 , PS5
- Released
- March 24, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Polyphony Digital
Gran Turismo 7 brands itself as "The Real Driving Simulation" and while it isn't as realistic as some other games in the genre, it is still a great entry point to sim racing games. The mechanics of this game are fairly realistic, and playing it on a full sim racing setup makes it even better.
Like any Gran Turismo game, this one also puts a lot of focus on its cars and makes them fully customizable. The multiplayer experience of this game is good, but it will require a lot of grinding if you want to get the best cars.
8 F1 23
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- Platform: PlayStation, Xbox, and PC
- Released: June 16, 2023
- Developers: Codemasters
F1 games always bring a great sim racing experience and F1 23 does it exceptionally well. The new handling model of this game feels amazing for players with a racing wheel and truly makes you feel that you are driving an F1 car.
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The different types of gamemodes such as career mode and F1 World add a lot of variety to the game and provide realistic F1 scenarios and experiences, which can be quite fun as you are limited to just F1 cars and tracks. The graphics of this game aren't incredible, but the gameplay more than makes up for it.
7 EA Sports WRC
- Platform: PlayStation, Xbox, and PC
- Released: November 3, 2023
- Developers: Codemasters
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Not every player agrees about calling this game a sim, but the realistic driving experience it provides along with its other features such as its great force feedback and the amazing sound effects make us think otherwise. The multiplayer mode of EA Sports WRC is also quite good and much better than we see in other racing games.
The Rally cars in this game are much more forgiving than in other sim games such as iRacing and Dirt, but that doesn't take away from how fun this game is and how enjoyable it feels to drive these cars along the rally tracks.
6 rFactor 2
- Platform: PC
- Released: March 28, 2013
- Developers: Image Space Incorporated
rFactor 2 is an incredible racing title that is made even better due to its modding capabilities. The base version of this game is great and has a surreal physics engine along with a steep learning curve, but the customization abilities it possesses make it so much more than just a good sim racing game.
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You can find almost any track or car you want online and experience it in the game. From retro racing cars to modern electric ones, rFactor 2 has it all. You can also host online servers where you can go up against your friends or random players to prove your racing skills.
5 Project Cars 2
- Platform: PlayStation, Xbox, and PC
- Released: September 22, 2017
- Developers: Slightly Mad Studios
Project Cars 2 boasts one of the best selections of cars and tracks ever seen in a racing game. The handling system of this game is remarkable and is still much better than what we see in many newer games, which makes playing it with a full rig even better.
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Sound is also another factor that makes Project Cars 2 stand out and makes you feel as if you are in a real racing car. Although this game has been delisted from Steam, you can still easily get it online. Its multiplayer modes also still work and have a large dedicated player base.
4 Automobilista 2
- Platform: PC
- Released: March 31, 2020
- Developers: Reiza Studios
Automobilista 2 is one of the preferred choices of sim driving fans and is seen as an improvement on both the Project Cars games. It is almost unmatched in terms of realism, and its throttle and breaks feel amazing, even on a low-tier rig.
This game does lack in a lot of areas, such as a great multiplayer mode with career mode and events, but the racing experience is up there with the best. There is also a large variety of cars to choose from, including modern GTs and racing trucks.
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3 Dirt Rally 2.0
- Platform: PlayStation, Xbox, and PC
- Released: February 26, 2019
- Developers: Codemasters
Most other games on this list focus on a smooth and pleasant driving experience, but Dirt Rally 2.0 does the opposite. This off-road rally car racing game can get bumpy due to its different tracks and weather options ranging from snow to rain. The different terrains will heavily impact your driving, and you will have to adjust accordingly.
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Another great feature of this game is its degradation system where the track slowly changes as you have raced through multiple laps. This can make the rally experience even tougher and more realistic as you start to slowly lose your grip and your handling becomes worse.
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2 Assetto Corsa Competizione
- Platform: PlayStation, Xbox, and PC
- Released: September 12, 2018
- Developers: KUNOS-Simulazioni Srl
Assetto Corsa Competizione should be your game of choice if you are looking for an incredibly detailed sim racing game with amazing graphics and realistic driving. This game is perfect for a sim as you can literally feel the different tyre grips and the different suspensions in cars due to the amazing feedback of this game.
Although it is limited to GT cars only, there are plenty of them to keep you entertained for a while. The different types of gamemodes alongside the variety of iconic real-life racetracks make this game a must-try for all sim racing fans.
1 iRacing
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- Platform: PC
- Released: August 26, 2008
- Developers: iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations
iRacing is undoubtedly the best sim racing game when it comes to realism. This game is even praised by real motorsport drivers due to how realistic it is and how close it feels to driving a real-life racing car. Although it can take you a while to get used to it, no other game feels as perfect as this one for a realistic sim racing experience.
What makes this game even better is its challenging online community, which is full of competitive players looking to get to the top of the leaderboards by qualifying for all the different live events and series.
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