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?

1. Gran Turismo 7
2. Need for Speed Unbound
3. Dirt 5
4. F1 2022
5. Wreckfest
6. WRC Generations

Gran Turismo 7

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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.

• Gran Turismo 7 review: Squeaky clean racing machine

Need for Speed Unbound

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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.

• Need for Speed Unbound review: Blazing back to its best

Dirt 5

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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

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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.

• F1 22 review: In the driver’s seat

Wreckfest

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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

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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.

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For

• Looks amazing
• So, so accurate
• Nice and gentle learning curve

Against

• Quite quirky structure
• A little clinical

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 on-boarding 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 are second to none. It all looks superb on the PS5, too, with 4K native resolution supported and making for a crisp and beautiful drive.

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For

• Great terrain variety
• Fun pace
• So nice to drive

Against

• Slightly repetitive

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 round them in chaotic, collision-filled races. The soundtrack is fun and the game looks great, too.

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For

• Amazing speed
• Great detailed preparation
• Plenty of tracks

Against

• Ultimately only one type of racing

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.

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For

• Unparalleled destruction engine
• Fun vehicles
• Various modes

Against

• Not the most coherent
• Don’t bank on the best driver winning

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 are you 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.

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For

• Great stages
• Plenty of cars to learn
• Very realistic

Against

• Occasionally looks dated
• Unforgiving

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.

How to choose a racing game on PS5

The PS5 has plenty of racing games to pick from, including a huge number of PS4 options that are totally playable on the newer hardware. Here are some quick questions to help you narrow things down.

Do you prefer road races or off-roading?

There’s quite a big division in the racing games that come out nowadays – they tend to either cater to off-road racing or to on-road stuff, and rarely do both. This means that if you love the feeling of sliding round a muddy corner you’ll likely end up getting a game like WRC 10 or Dirt 5, while racing on tarmac will see you safer sticking the big guns like Gran Turismo 7.

Do you love F1?

Of course, if you have a particular passion for one discipline in particular, like Formula 1, your choices are going to be even narrower, since the licenses tend to only sit in one place. If you want to race an official F1 car virtually, there’s only one game series to go to, and that applies to other organisations too.

Do you want to do split-screen?

One thing that used to be standard in racing games is slowly becoming more rare – split-screen action. If you want to be able to race a friend on one TV when they’re round, be sure to check what the games you’re considering offer, because a surprising number of them now don’t have any such options.