(Pocket-lint) – No games console is complete with a great racing game – they so often push the boundaries of what gaming hardware can produce visually, and give a great option for relaxed racing or white-knuckle thrill rides, depending on the game.
The PlayStation 5 is no exception, and Sony’s console has its fair share of excellent racers already, especially in light of the long-awaited arrival of Gran Turismo on the platform. We’ve gathered the very best options available, below. That said, if you want a different type of game, feel free to check out the table below with our other PS5 lists.
What are the best racing games on PS5?
- Gran Turismo 7
- Need for Speed Unbound
- Dirt 5
- F1 2022
- Wreckfest
- WRC 10
Gran Turismo 7
squirrel_widget_6095816
The grand-daddy of PlayStation racers is back with its first numbered entry in ages, and GT7 is an absolute scorcher, with a more generous onboarding system than any Gran Turismo has ever offered. You’ll earn new cars nice and regularly, learning how to race safely and fairly.
Over time, you’ll get into the driving seats of some of the most famous cars in the world, and the accuracy of its physics is second to none. It all looks superb on the PS5, too, with 4K native resolution supported and making for a crisp and beautiful drive.
Need for Speed Unbound
squirrel_widget_12856340
Another massive racing franchise comes in the form of Need for Speed, which has seen better days in terms of popularity. That hasn’t stopped it dropping its best game in years, though, in Unbound.
This is a really fun arcadey racer that cleverly brings in some roguelike elements to give you a risk-reward system. The customisation options are the real star, though.
Dirt 5
squirrel_widget_3753623
The one thing that Gran Turismo isn’t totally perfect at (even though it does a solid job) is off-road racing, which plays second fiddle to its road races. Getting a good off-road experience is super easy with Dirt 5, though, a racer that knows how mud works in crazy detail.
It’s a brilliant time, with slippy and sliding tracks that transition between surfaces at will, and a whole load of super-powered cars to take around them in chaotic, collision-filled races. The soundtrack is fun and the game looks great, too.
F1 22
squirrel_widget_6777445
If you want something a little more specific, the latest F1 release is a perfect demonstration of how good its developer Codemasters is at making licensed racing games by now. The racing is so taut and carefully calibrated that you’ll really feel like an F1 driver at your peak.
There are so many tracks to memorise and the sense of speed when you slam on the accelerator in an F1 machine is second to none, and driving a whole season in the hopes of securing a championship is a rare endurance feat.
Wreckfest
squirrel_widget_6652274
For something a whole lot more chaotic, try Wreckfest. This hilarious racer has insanely detailed damage systems at its heart, letting you absolutely destroy your car, truck, tractor or any other number of vehicles you can race.
It leads to outrageously dirty racing where damaging each other is very much the point of everything, and its destruction derbies are tremendous fun. The racer at its heart is actually great, too, though, so there’s a lot to love here.
WRC Generations
squirrel_widget_12864478
Finally, a great rally game always stands alone, offering a uniquely tense and high-speed blend that we can’t get enough of. If you’re looking to tear through courses with only a second’s notice before each hairpin, WRC Generations is a great continuation of the best series out there right now.
You’ll get a host of cars to master, and a wide range of courses across a variety of locations from real-life tour events, meaning you can really pit your virtual skills against the tracks that these expert drivers have to contend with in real life.
More about this story
Every game in this list has been tested and played through by our team to make sure that it merits inclusion.
We’ve played through their campaigns, sunk hours into their multiplayer offerings, and carefully compared them to direct competitors to make sure that they represent the most satisfying and rewarding options out there on their platform.
With any roundup, though, it’s not possible to deliver a list that works for every type of user. That’s why we lean on the experiences and opinions of the wider Pocket-lint team – as well as thoroughly assessing the areas above – in order to do our best in this regard.
What we always tend to avoid with these guides are needless details – we just want to provide an easy to understand summary that gives you an idea of what each game is like to play.
Writing by Max Freeman-Mills.