23 Most Realistic Racing Games Ever - The first knowledge sharing application in Vietnam

There are plenty of great racing games on the market, but these examples are the most realistic.

Driving through the streets of metropolitan cities in superfast cars is a dream come true for many gamers. Getting behind the wheels of supercars and motorbikes in a heated tournament can set the soul on fire.

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Game developers have taken it upon themselves to recreate the rush of modern muscle cars and sports vehicles in a bid to make street racing a fun-filled fantasy for people of all ages. These racing games offer players an ultra-realistic simulation to put the pedal to the metal on tracks that can turn heads and push the limits of speed.

Updated on March 4, 2023, by Chetan Shekar:The most realistic racing games are packed with fun-filled content that can keep players hooked to the wheels for days on end. These games are made to give people a thrill that can help them become the best racers in an international arena.

People can customize their rides and focus on becoming the very best on the streets while playing through these realistic racing games. These titles are bound to excite fans of the racing simulation genre and urge players to zoom ahead in their vehicles to emerge victorious. Have a closer look at the most realistic racing games available to play in 2023.

In some cases, the “realistic” aspect refers to the visuals or setting, so this article does not include just racing sims.

Horizon Chase 2

Horizon Chase 2 is among the most realistic car games people can play on the Apple Arcade. Released on September 9, 2022, Horizon Chase 2 is a 90’s style racing simulation game that requires sharp skills and quick reflexes.

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People can connect with their crew from anywhere in the world to compete online in various international tournaments. Gamers can level up to reach higher in the Global Leaderboards in Horizon Chase 2. It also includes a cool new Garage Game that lets players upgrade their cars.

Dakar Desert Rally

Dakar Desert Rally is an off-road racing experience that features a wide range of licensed cars, motorcycles, SSVs, and quads. These vehicles can be used to take part in some of the largest rally races in the world.

People can race through over 30 stages that offer the full rally racing experience from previous years of Dakar Rally races. Players can drive across different racing tracks in any of the 4 seasons of the year. The Deluxe Edition of Dakar Desert Rally features the DAF Truck Turbo-Twin and the Peugeot 405 Turbo 16.

TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2

Developed by KT Racing, TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 is a sports game for motorcycle enthusiasts. It has several game modes, such as a Career mode and an online multiplayer mode to give people a run for their money.

People can ride their motorcycles on twisted tracks at the Snaefell Mountain Course to beat their competition. It has more than 60 km of racing tracks to test the bravest of motorcyclists in TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2. Players can choose to ride over 10 motorbikes in the realistic racing game.

rFactor 2

rFactor 2 is a highly realistic racing simulation game that was released in March 2013. It has an advanced physics engine that provides a smooth racing experience across multiple race tracks with dynamic weather conditions.

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People can plug in their VR headsets while playing rFactor 2 for a truly immersive experience. Compete against AI opponents or face new challenges from players online on dedicated servers in lap-based and time-based events. It has a camera that can be moved freely from any position to view the races from new perspectives.

Players can modify the cars and the layouts in rFactor 2 using custom plugins for a personalized experience. It also has a “Resume from Replay” mode that allows players to resume races from saved replays in the game.

Need for Speed Unbound

Need for Speed Unbound is an exciting racing car game that lets players play across different platforms. People can race through the modern streets and grueling tracks to win The Grand, an ultimate street racing challenge.

Start small and race to the top of the leaderboards by placing bets against rival racers. Need for Speed Unbound features over 70 heart-pumping tracks from hip-hop artists around the world to make each race memorable. The Story mode in Need for Speed Unbound can be played on 3 different difficulty settings to help players progress faster in The Grand. Need for Speed Unbound has steering wheel support that makes it count among the most realistic racing games available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox X|S.

RaceRoom Racing Experience

RaceRoom Racing Experience is a free-to-play racing car simulation. Become a professional race car driver in the realistic car game and take part in online multiplayer mode to earn rewards.

The controls of RaceRoom Racing Experience provide a number of features and camera angles to make the races peak on international racing tracks. Players can beat the best racers from all over the world to battle friends and familiar rivals in RaceRoom Racing Experience. People can choose to race in top car brands, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Chevrolet.

Forza Motorsport 7

Forza Motorsport 7 is a realistic racing game developed by Turn 10 Studios. The game can run at native 4K resolution and offers a consistent 60 frames per second. The racing game was announced at E3 and released in October 2017. It won the award for “Best Racing Game” in IGN’s Best of 2017 Awards.

Players can customize and drive more than 700 supercars on 32 tracks in Forza Motorsport 7. It can be played on PC and Xbox One. People can race the toughest drivers and earn trophies and banners that can be put on display in their garages.

Project CARS 2

Project CARS 2 is a motorsport simulator that was released for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It offers people more than 100 tracks to race on, that include Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Glencairn Karting Circuit, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Le Mans Karting International, Silverstone Circuit, Summerton Karting Circuit, and Wildcrest Racing Circuit.

The racing game has a dynamic environment with varying weather conditions such as blistering heat, pouring rain, and soft snow. These weather conditions can test the skills of seasoned drivers in a rich 12K resolution. Project CARS 2 has VR support enabled for an immersive experience.

Shift 2

Published by Electronic Arts, Shift 2 is a racing game with several game modes. Championships, Circuit Races, Drift Races, Endurance Races, Retro Races, Time Attack Events, Standing Mile, and Legends Championship are a few of the modes available in the game.

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Tracks in Shift 2 include Circuit Dijon-Prenois, Donington GP, Glendale East, Hazyview Oval, Hockenheimring National, London Whitehall Drive, Miami Bayside Run, and Silverstone National. The Limited Edition of the game has exclusive cars such as Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV and Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640. Shift 2 is available on PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and iOS.

Grand Prix 3

Grand Prix 3 is a racing simulator that was released for PC. The game featured most of the drivers and cars from the 1998 Formula One season. At the time of its release, Grand Prix 3 had sold over 300,000 units in one month. It was popular among European countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

The racing game has a single-player and multiplayer mode. An expansion pack was released for the game in August 2001 that included several drivers and cars from Grand Prix 3 2000 season.

Need for Speed: Heat

Need for Speed: Heat is the 29th entry in the popular racing simulation series. The Story mode lets players participate in the Speedhunters Showdown, an event that takes place in and around Palm City. Be a part of the street racing circuit to earn money and fame.

The realistic racing game has an online multiplayer mode that allows up to eight players to race together. It was published by Electronic Arts and made available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in November 2019.

Riders Republic

Riders Republic is an enthralling sports game developed by Ubisoft. Mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, and wingsuit flying are the main activities in the game. The massively multiplayer game allows up to 64 players to compete against each other in mass races.

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The open-world game has seven distinct locations that include Bryce Canyon, Yosemite Valley, Mammoth Mountain, Zion, and Grand Teton. People can enjoy the experience of the game through a career mode that lets them perform mind-boggling tricks to unlock new gears, outfits, and cosmetic items. Released in October 2021, Riders Republic can be played on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox X|S.

DIRT 5

Created by Codemasters, DIRT 5 is an off-road arcade racing game. While the gameplay is not that realistic, the same cannot be said about the visuals, and the game can run at 120 frames per second with gorgeous graphical details. It has a rich narrative-driven Career mode that lets people earn sponsorships and unique rewards.

DIRT 5 can be played on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox X|S, and PC. It has over 70 routes in global locations that include Arizona, Roosevelt Island, Norway, China, Greece, and Italy. Along with the online multiplayer mode, the game has a split-screen mode that lets up to 4 friends play together offline.

Inertial Drift

Inertial Drift is an indie racing game developed by Level 91 Entertainment. It was released in September 2020 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The game offers unique controls that redefine the handling of supercars. Players have complete control over steering and drifting, making each race an amazing experience.

The retro racing game has a Career mode and an online multiplayer mode. Inertial Drift provides plenty of dynamic terrains to race on that include cityscape, coastal highways, and snow-capped mountains. Players can also enjoy Inertial Drift with their friends in Co-op mode.

Forza Horizon 5

Published by Xbox Game Studios, Forza Horizon 5 is an open-world racing game. Players can take part in the Horizon Festival and explore the vast and diverse streets of Mexico. From dusty deserts to thick jungles and active volcanoes, people can experience the vibrant culture of Mexico in Forza Horizon 5 in a truly immersive manner. This is an arcade racer, so the gameplay and stunts do not strive for authenticity; however, Forza Horizon 5’s graphics are about as realistic as they come.

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Released on November 4, 2021, Forza Horizon 5 can be played on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. The racing car game features more than 400 of the fastest cars from around the world, such as the Aston Martin Vantage, Audi S1, Bentley Continental Supersports, BMW M4 Coupe, Bugatti Chiron, Lamborghini Diablo SV, Mazda RX-7, and the Porsche Cayman GTS.

Gran Turismo Sport

Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Gran Turismo Sport is a sports racing game released for the PlayStation 4. The single-player campaign mode offers people four distinct categories to play including the GT League, Driving School, Mission Challenge, and Circuit Experience. The Lewis Hamilton Time Trial Challenge is an additional campaign that can be purchased as a DLC.

The racing game also features an Arcade mode and a multiplayer mode. It has more than 80 circuits to drive through, including 27 real-world tracks. Gran Turismo Sport has over 300 playable cars such as the Dodge Challenger R/T, Ferrari 458 Italia, Ford Focus ST, Honda NSX, and Lexus RC F.

F1 2021

Released on July 13, 2021, F1 2021 is a racing game that can be played on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. It has a brand-new story mode, the Braking Point, that lets players race through tracks as fictional F1 drivers with narrative-driven cut scenes.

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The Braking Point lets players take part in one of five Formula 1 teams, including the Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team, Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN, Scuderia AlphaTauri, Williams Racing, or Haas F1 Team. F1 2021 also has a Career mode and a Multiplayer mode.

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is a racing game released in 2010. It was remastered in 2020 as part of its tenth anniversary. It is playable on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.

Fans can become the best racer in Seacrest County by playing the Career mode and Multiplayer Mode. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit features dozens of supercars including the Chevrolet Camaro SS, Dodge Viper SRT10, McLaren MP4-12C, Pagani Zonda Cinque, Ford GT500 Shelby, and Mercedes SLS AMG.

Assetto Corsa Competizione

Assetto Corsa Competizione is the official GT World Challenge game. It can be played on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and iOS. The game recreates real-world cars, circuits, teams, and official drivers with great detail and accuracy. Photorealistic tracks in the game include Barcelona, Misano, Paul Ricard, Silverstone, and Zolder.

The single-player mode features Career, Championship, and Free Play. The Multiplayer mode has an advanced ranking system to grade individual performances and driving behavior in online competitions. Assetto Corsa Competizione uses motion capture technology to depict player interactions during pit stops.

DiRT Rally

DiRT Rally is a rally racing game that was released on December 7, 2015, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The off-roading racing game has 6 massive rallies and over 70 stages that include Wales, Greece, Monte Carlo, Pikes Peak, Sweden, and Finland. These tracks have been road-tested for more than 80 million miles by the DiRT community.

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The racing game features more than 30 playable cars such as the Renault Alpine A110, Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500, Subaru Impreza, Peugeot 208 WRX, and Audi Sports Quattro S1 PP. These cars can be repaired, upgraded, and tuned up to give players a strategic advantage in their races.