11 best racing games for PS5 in 2024: Wreckfest, Gran Turismo & more
Get your driving gloves on as we've got the best racing games you can play on PS5 right now.
Racing has been one of gaming's favourite genres to explore and that remains true in the latest PlayStation era. Here are our picks for the best racing games on PS5 right now.
#11: Wreckfest
Platform(s): PlayStation 5
If you're looking for one of the most dynamic racing games out there that pushes the graphical fidelity of the PS5, then Wreckfest is the way to go.
More than just a racing game, it is a veritable demolition derby, as the game uses soft-body damage modelling to accurately depict damage and the very way you drive following an impact.
Shards of glass, dents in the metal, popped tyres. You name it, and Wreckfest well and truly has it covered to provide players with the most realistic experience.
These demolition derby aspects are perhaps the most impressive, as each game not only becomes a standard race to the finish you see in your typical race but also a heart-pounding fight to become the last car standing... or driving in this case.
#10: Need for Speed: Unbound
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X|S
Need for Speed is a stalwart of the genre, and has always been a reliable series to turn to if you need a good, albeit safe racer. Need for Speed: Unbound shakes things up quite a bit, especially when it comes to visuals.
Rather than relying solely on realism, the game is attempting to carve out its own identity, particularly with its presentation. Gone are your standard character models, to be replaced with highly graphic cell-shaded characters, each with their own unique personality that makes for a more memorable story experience.
When you’re driving along a road and see a ramp, you’re ultimately going to want to use it to get in the air. The graffiti-style graphics and colourful smoke that appears when you do such tricks feel like a refreshing graphical consideration that the series needed to stand out from a crowded market.
#9: F1 24
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
The most recent title on this list, F1 24 is the pinnacle of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". This a sign that, despite being a title that is released every year, it still retains the same degree of purpose and fun as the entries prior.
With every entry of the game, more and more gets polished, and this entry is no exception. With refined driving mechanics and tweaks to already existing circuits. Refined is probably the most accurate way to describe F1 24. This is a series that knows its audience and is always looking to fine-tune itself.
#8: MotoGP 24
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
From cars to bikes. Variety is the spice of life when it comes to racing and MotoGP 24 offers just that. The game throws you into the familiar world of MotoGP, with over 20 circuits and 120 recognisable riders for you to choose from.
This is probably the game grounded in realism the most. Not just in visuals, but in the history of the sport, with it placing its champions at the forefront and allowing players to learn as well as play.
#7: Grid Legends
Platform(s): Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X|S
If you're looking for an international tour-de-force, then Grid Legends can offer you just that. Featuring iconic speedway tracks in London, Paris, San Francisco and more the game is willing you to try out every feature imaginable. From the electric cars to the off-road tracks, there is plenty to delve into.
Following in the footsteps of Formula 1: Drive to Survive, Grid Legends also features a significant story campaign alongside the freedom to race. While perhaps not as recognisable as F1's Braking Point, Grid Legends' Driven to Glory still provides a fun single-player experience that changes up the pace.
As we put it, Grid Legends feels like one of the final "classic" racing games.
#6: Redout 2
Platform(s): Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S
Why stay on the track when you can hover slightly above it? If you thought F-Zero was fast, then you clearly need to play Redout 2. Taking place in the distant future of 2560, compete in the Solar Redout Racing League in a series of anti-gravity races.
Redout 2, much like its predecessor, is a neon dream, with gorgeous visuals that almost want you to slow down and appreciate the world you're racing. However, it's the speed that is the most impressive. You'll need to make split-second decisions if you're going to stay on the track.
While we eagerly await anything to do with F-Zero, Redout 2 will certainly keep us going in the meantime.
#5: Hot Wheels Unleashed
Platform(s): Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S
When it comes to toys and games, Hot Wheels continues to be a source of enjoyment for the whole family in the form of Hot Wheels Unleashed. Taking the classic toys and placing them in exciting scenarios for all ages to race along the iconic orange track.
What is perhaps most impressive about Hot Wheels Unleashed is that it utilises a highly in-depth track builder, so you can create the designs you could only dream of when playing with the toy cars, and finally realise them in the game.
The tracks can vary in appearance but often replicate the feeling that you have built them yourself, with a cleverly disguised living room, library, garage and more forming the backdrop to the tracks, that dip, twist, wind and turn to your design.
#4: Rocket League
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
While your actions don't take place on the track, there's no doubt that Rocket League is one of the most exhilarating 'racing' games you can play on PlayStation 5 right now.
This car-football hybrid has remained an incredibly popular title since its release in 2015 and looks to have no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Your aim is to boost your way to victory by knocking a giant football into an equally huge goal - with the winner claiming the most before the time runs out.
It's one of the most mechanically challenging racing games you'll play right now, and mastering its many techniques will take you hours and hours of gameplay. It's more than worth the effort you'll put in though, and it can be a palate cleanser once you're tired of the tarmac.
#3: Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
Much like Rocket League, Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game isn't strictly a racing title in the traditional sense, but it'll put your driving skills to the test like no other.
This puts you behind the wheels of various trucks and 4x4s, and you'll be tasked with making your way through treacherous landscapes to complete various missions.
Think of it as the (somehow) even more extreme version of dirt rally racing, only it's not the finish line you're after but a bunch of materials. You'll often find yourself stuck in the mud, tumbling down a cliff, or flipped on your head - but you'll no doubt revel in the chaos of it all.
#2: R4 Ridge Racer Type 4
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 (part of PS+ Premium Classics)
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Having originally released on the PlayStation, R4 Ridge Racer Type 4 remains still one of the best racing games you can play.
Its gameplay might seem comparatively simple when placed next to the latest Gran Turismo, but it perfects the sleek feeling of tight corners and speedway stretches. It still looks fantastic despite its age too, and definitely holds its own when it comes to atmosphere - and that's what racing is all about really.
On top of all of this Ridge Racer Type 4 also has what I'd consider one of the best soundtracks you'll find in any game. The jazzy drum & bass beats are positively electric when you're driving - so much so that one has even been sampled by JPEGMAFIA.
#1: Gran Turismo 7
Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR2, PlayStation 5
It might be easy to dismiss Gran Turismo as just PlayStation's Forza equivalent, but it is so much more. PlayStation's flagship racer is the pinnacle of design, with sleek visuals and realistic controls, it's easier to see why players would want to get behind the wheel in VR.
Similarly to F1 24, Gran Turismo is an iconic series at its best and makes the most of the sleek hardware it is playing on. The haptic feedback in the PS5's DualSense controller only adds to the immersion, letting the vibrations of the track reverberate through your hands and into your soul. It is the definition of a current-gen racer and one that belongs on every PS5 player's shelf.
About The Author
Jack Roberts
Jack is a Guides Writer at GGRecon. With a BA (Hons) & MA in English and Creative Writing, he was also the Gaming Editor for The Indiependent. When not pondering which game has the best cup of coffee (and drinking far too much of it himself), he can often be found playing Dead by Daylight, Street Fighter or making yet another build in Bloodborne.
