The racing game genre is eclectic and sometimes, a little overwhelming. Luckily, we’ve scoured the ranks taking into account everything from well-known franchises, to third-party entries, to remastered classics in order to populate our list of the best Xbox racing games on offer right now. And hopefully, you’ll find a game here that will fuel your desire to put the pedal to the metal.
In this best Xbox racing games guide, we were frankly spoiled for choice with renowned developers continuing to release high-speed goodness and other currently one-off racing games that offer players some alternative choice. Looking to travel across the globe in some of the most iconic cars? Try your hand at off-roading? Take on friends on two-wheels? Well, you’re in luck. Before we get into the best racing games though, if this list quenches your speedy thirst, but you’re keen for more Xbox One games, why not take a look at our best Xbox Series X games? For now, let’s race.
Here are the best Xbox racing games:
- Forza Horizon 5
- Assetto Corsa Competizione
- Art of Rally
- Wreckfest
- F1 23
- WRC 10
- MotoGP 22
- DIRT 5
- Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered
- GRID
- The Crew 2
- Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
- Need for Speed Unbound
1. Forza Horizon 5
If open-world racing is what you’re after, nothing comes close to Forza Horizon 5.
An Xbox exclusive that plenty of PlayStation owners will wish they had, FH5 looks amazing, offers up exciting racing, and keeps you entertained for the long haul with weekly and seasonal content updates. Set in a reimaging of Mexico, the open-world mechanics, as always, show off the different terrains of the diverse country from the desert, to farmlands, to volcanos all open for racing and exploration. You can even scour the map for Forza Horizon 5 Barn Finds – decaying, rusted old cars that you can restore and turn into some of the best cars in your collection.
You can read our glowing Forza Horizon 5 review here. Plus, now you can get both expansions for the game, offering up a Hot Wheels park to explore and a rally-themed adventure to work your way through.
2. Assetto Corsa Competizione
This racing sim is from Italian developer Kunos Simulazioni, and the title, quite literally translated to English is, Race Setup Competition… but it sounds better in Italian. Assetto Corsa Competizione is one of the best sim racing titles around, aiming for realistic driving over all else.
Although it came out in 2018, there have been numerous content updates as well as some DLC bringing the GT World Challenge to consoles.
3. art of rally
A little something different next with art of rally from developer Funselektor Labs Inc., an aptly-named rally driving game that’s a lot of fun. Vibrant, colorful, and with a distinct style to them come art of rally’s racing tracks that span the globe.
From Finland, to Japan, to Africa, and with 72 stages, there’s a lot to get revved up about with this entry. It’s beautiful to look at and it can test even the most expert of drivers with a variety of skill levels to choose from.
4. Wreckfest
If you’re feeling a little pent up, Wreckfest is the chaotic, full-contact, crash-centric racing game of choice for you. With a bunch of challenge modes that will even get you behind the wheel of a school bus, Wreckfest has a lot to offer.
Customization in the game means you can build up a car ripe for taking on these extreme settings and if it’s not good enough, well, you’ll get obliterated in the process.
5. F1 23
F1 is an iconic racing franchise that continues to dominate the racing game genre. So, it’s no wonder that developer Codemasters is the driving force behind this franchise as it is the top gear team for racing games – which you’ll come to realize when you see some of its other games on our list.
F1 23 features two brand-new modes, visual enhancements along with the newer car models with updated physics, adaptive AI, and much, much more that puts this F1 sim racer out in front of the pack. What’s more, the new F1 World mode is the perfect replacement for F1 Life that fans found rather hollow in the previous game in the series.
It’s the most authentic F1 racing game to date – which you can read all about in our F1 23 review before diving in.
6. WRC 10
WRC 10, also known in a more long-winded way as WRC 10 FIA World Rally Championship, is the tenth of the WRC game series which started back in 2001. And from five onwards, French developer Kylotonn took the baton from Milestone.
In this edition, it’s a 50th anniversary, and with that celebration comes a whole fleet of legendary cars spanning its history. With a generous career mode and a range of solo and multiplayer options, there’s a lot to get excited about.
7. MotoGP 23
It’s about time we raced it out on two wheels and added motorbikes to our list and what better way to do that than by including MotoGP 23? Based on the FIM MotoGP World Championship, MotoGP 23 is a franchise still under the Milestone developer hat.
This racing sim coins itself the “most realistic and immersive” MotoGP videogame ever, and you’d hope so too with all the possibilities now available with the current-gen Xbox consoles. Alongside some extraordinary racing, there’s also a lot of customization with five graphic editors making it possible to switch up a whole host of things from your helmet, to your suit, to your racing number.
8. DIRT 5
Back again to Codemasters. The racing developer is also the mastermind behind DiRT 5, which is all about off-road racing and its tracks span the entire globe. With ten locations such as New York, Nepal, Brazil, and South Africa, there are multiple different circuits and routes in each.
Racers can get into the thick of it in a range of diverse terrains, try out the career mode (solo, or co-op), and even make their own course in creator mode, Playgrounds.
9. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered
A timeless classic from the Need for Speed franchise is remastered as Hot Pursuit raced onto Xbox in 2021. It comes complete with all the original content as well as enhanced visuals and a multitude of quality-of-life updates that bring this game into the modern age of console gaming.
It’s another great choice on our list for anyone looking for something fun and exhilarating. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s packed full of exotic cars to race with such as the Aston Martin V12 Vantage and a range of Lamborghini Gallardo’s.
10. GRID
And our final entry from developer Codemasters is GRID, an arcade racer packed with intense racing experiences. It’s also another classic series but oddly follows after GRID 2. It offers a load of different races, in different locations at high speed and in incredible cars. What more could you want from a racing game?
The locations are bespoke boasting fictional tracks in Sepang, Sydney, and San Francisco and you can rise through the ranks of the motorsport world with the game’s career mode.
11. The Crew 2
Another open-world option on our list is The Crew 2 from developers Ivory Tower and Ubisoft Milan, and this time it’s all set across the United States. This casual arcade racer is not just cars or bikes though, as in The Crew 2 you can also reach exhilarating speeds in boats and planes taking on ground, sea, and sky.
And, while you travel from coast to coast, the option to switch modes of transport with just the press of a button means you can chop and change how you fancy traveling in a wonderful, seamless fashion. It’s a perfect time to try it too, with The Crew Motorfest release date approaching.
12. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Last but not least, a classic has been remastered from the world of Crash Bandicoot. This kart racing classic originally came out on the PlayStation in 1999, but racers everywhere can now enjoy Crash Team Racing on a whole new level with added online multiplayer.
As developer Beenox says, it’s time to go “fur-throttle” with this one and enjoy crazy games with friends.
13. Need for Speed Unbound
Recent Need for Speed games have been rather hit or miss but Unbound revived the street racing formula that made titles like Underground and Most Wanted as beloved as they are.
Need for Speed Unbound helps deliver everything a racing game fan could want, with a unique new art style that strangely compliments the world of street racing. And, with Unbound being current-gen focused, its stunning visuals are definitely worth the playthrough, especially if you’re a fan of the more tight-knit chaos of street racing.
You can read our Need for Speed Unbound review here to learn more.
So there you have it, our picks for the best Xbox racing games. If it’s relaxed, open-world racing you’re after, or hyper-realistic sim racing, there’s something here for all of you petrolheads.
If there’s nothing here that takes your fancy though, have a browse through the upcoming Xbox Series X games to see what’ll be hitting the shelves soon.
