If you’re someone who likes to live life on the edge, chances are that you love racing games.

When it comes to the Xbox, the platform has a rich history of racing games, ranging from the famed, exclusive Forza series to renowned third-party franchises such as GRID.

Trying to pick the best racing game is quite difficult, especially considering how many different subgenres, styles, and themes there are. Whatever your favorite kind of racing game is, there’s bound to be one on the Xbox for you.

To help you pick, we’ve selected the 11 best racing games for Xbox series X|S.

Forza Horizon 5

GenreRacing, adventure, simulation
Buy fromThe official Xbox store
LengthThe main story takes about 20 hours to complete but a full completionist run with every achievement can take you well over 100 hours
DeveloperPlayground Games
Release date9th November 2021
Co-opOnline, up to 12 players in multiplayer depending on game mode

As cliché as it might sound, Forza Horizon 5 really is lightyears ahead of most of its competition in the racing game genre.

The main reason to play Forza Horizon 5 is its sheer scale. With hundreds of cars at your disposal, you can explore the expansive, immersive open world set in Mexico.

You can do everything from participating in breath-taking races to surviving a dust storm.

The graphics are obviously top-notch, but they are backed by smooth gameplay that strikes a good balance between an arcade style of play and absolute realism.

With multiple vehicle classes, game modes, and activities available for the player to pursue, Forza Horizon 5 is the jack of all trades when it comes to racing video games.

DiRT Rally 2.0

GenreRacing, simulation
Buy fromThe official Xbox store
LengthThe main story takes around 15 hours to finish and a 100% completionist run with every achievement takes anywhere from 150 to 200 hours
DeveloperCodemasters
Release date26th February 2019
Co-opOnline multiplayer, supports up to 8 players

Sometimes old really is gold. This is certainly the case with DiRT Rally 2.0, a game that came out over a year and a half before fan favorite DiRT 5.

While it fails to match the graphic fidelity of newer releases, the gameplay in DiRT Rally 2.0 is a lot more realistic, fun, and challenging.

The easiest way to explain Dirt Rally 2.0 is that it is designed for the rally enthusiast.

If you are someone who is serious about rallying, you can hook a steering wheel to your Xbox Series X|S and enjoy a level of absolute realism you won’t find anywhere else.

The only thing to keep in mind is that Dirt Rally 2.0 has a steep learning curve. As such, casual players looking to just have a bit of fun driving on dirt roads may want to look elsewhere.

F1 2021

F1 2021
GenreRacing, simulation
Buy fromThe official Xbox store
LengthMain story campaign takes roughly 11-12 hours to complete and finishing the game entirely can take up to 90-100 hours
DeveloperCodemasters
Release date16th July 2021
Co-opCross-generation support, local and online, up to 20 players depending on the game mode

While the Formula 1 games are famous for being formulaic (ba dum tss!), developer Codemasters has pushed out one of the most polished and refined games yet with F1 2021.

The game has better graphics, an improved career mode where players are much more responsible for car development, and a story mode called Breaking Point.

Breaking Point is a great new addition to the series, and it provides something new for the players to try instead of the same game modes that have existed for over a decade now.

The 2021 F1 entry is a significant upgrade over its predecessor.

It is quite rightly known as one of the best racing games on the Xbox Series X|S, especially because of the smoother frame rates and exceptionally beautiful night-time graphics.

Assetto Corsa Competizione

GenreRacing, simulation
Buy fromThe official Xbox store
LengthThe main storyline takes around 10 hours to beat, and a full completionist run could take you well over 150 hours
DeveloperKUNOS Simulazioni Srl
Release date23rd June 2020
Co-opOnline multiplayer, supports up to 20 players depending on mode

If you are looking for a completely realistic racing experience on the Xbox, this is it.

Assetto Corsa Competitzione is a full-on driving simulator. This means that players can hook up a racing wheel and get to feel what it is like to drive a GT3 race car.

Simply put, ACC is the best realistic racing game on the Xbox.

While the game is lacking in terms of versatility and game modes, the multiplayer more than makes up for it.

Players looking for a hardcore multiplayer racing experience on consoles often have trouble finding a game that can satisfy their appetite. However, ACC is a noteworthy exception.

Wreckfest

GenreAction-adventure, racing, simulation
Buy fromThe official Xbox store
LengthMain story takes around 18-19 hours to complete but a full completionist run could take you anywhere from 26 to 36 hours
DeveloperBugbear Entertainment
Release date27th August 2019
Co-opOnline multiplayer, up to 16 players depending on mode

No racing game list would be complete without Wreckfest.

Wreckfest is a demolition derby game where players can literally destroy their cars and turn them into crumpled pieces of metal.

Wreckfest has no rules. All you need to do is to get to the finish line without breaking down.

This makes the multiplayer on Wreckfest one of the most engaging racing experiences on the Xbox. Players simultaneously try to win by driving fast and by causing other players to crash and take damage.

Ride 4

GenreRacing, simulation
Buy fromThe official Xbox store
LengthThe main story takes 30 hours on average but a full completionist run can take you well over the 300-350 hour mark
DeveloperMilestone S.r.l.
Release date8th October 2020
Co-opOnline, up to 21 players supported

This wouldn’t be a complete list without mentioning at least one bike racing game.

Ride 4 is as close to perfection as the genre gets. This is not a game that is licensed by any motorbike racing championship, but it more than compensates for it through its fluid gameplay and in-depth career mode.

Ride 4 also has a lot of licensed bikes and tracks, making it ideal for the bike enthusiast that just wants to get out on track and race a wide variety of bikes.

While the multiplayer can be hit or miss, it is not too difficult to find a race without any trolls or griefers.

Overall, we think that Ride 4 is the best bike racing game that you can get on the Xbox. While other entries such as Supercross 4 come close, the gameplay on Ride 4 is far superior to anything else. It’s fast-paced, smooth, and full of interesting content.

Forza Motorsport 7

GenreRacing. simulation
Buy fromThe official Xbox store
LengthThe main campaign takes around 30 hours to complete and a 100% completionist run will take you anywhere from 150-170 hours
DeveloperTurn 10 Studios
Release date3rd October 2017
Co-opLocal and online, supports up to 24 players depending on mode

Although this game initially came out for the Xbox One in 2017, it is playable on both the Xbox Series X and S due to the amazing backward compatibility features provided by Microsoft.

Forza Motorsport 7 is more of a sim-cade game, where it tries to combine simulation mechanics with arcade gameplay for an authentic and semi-realistic track experience.

In total, there are over 700 cars for the player to collect and over 100 tracks to compete on.

The only thing to remember is that, due to its age, the graphics in this game are not as high quality as most of the other games in this list. That being said, this game simply has too much going for it for us not to include it.

Art of Rally

GenreRacing, simulation
Buy fromThe official Xbox store
LengthThe main campaign takes around 16 hours to finish and a complete run with every achievement takes just over 30 hours
DeveloperFunselektor Labs Inc.
Release date12th August 2021
Co-opNo, single player only

Art of Rally is a bit different from the other games on this list. It doesn’t take itself too seriously but still tries to provide an adrenaline-filled rally experience.

The cartoonish graphical style is a welcome break from the over-realism that is common in modern games.

On top of that, the control scheme is absolutely fantastic (although not realistic). Driving around truly feels like you are on the edge of losing traction and going off the track.

For players that are looking for a challenging yet casual rally experience, the Art of Rally is the perfect game. Just remember that the game is somewhat lacking in terms of depth, with just a handful of game modes, tracks, and cars for you to try.

GRID Legends

GenreRacing, simulation
Buy fromThe official Xbox store
LengthThe main story takes around 6 hours to complete and a 100% completionist run will take you around 65 hours to complete entirely
DeveloperCodemasters
Release date25th February 2022
Co-opCross-generation, online, up to 22 players

The GRID series got a reboot in 2019, and GRID Legends refines many of the problems the initial game had, creating a more compelling product overall.

Apart from having the standard career mode, players can also play the Driven to Glory story mode. The Driven to Glory mode pits you in a humble but confident racing outfit as you try to beat rivals on your way to the GRID Gauntlet.

As for the gameplay, GRID Legends takes an arcade approach to track and street racing, although it is possible to make the game more difficult by turning down the settings.

The multiplayer mode always fills the race with 22 cars, using AI-controlled cars to fill in the empty slots that can later be controlled by new players that join the race.

MotoGP 21

GenreRacing, simulation
Buy fromThe official Xbox store
LengthThe main storyline will take you around 15 hours to complete and you can complete a 100% completionist run in just under 40 hours
DeveloperMilestone S.r.l.
Release date22nd April 2021
Co-opOnline, up to 22 players supported

The second bike racing game on our list is MotoGP 21.

While we prefer the more realistic approach of Ride 4 when it comes to gameplay, MotoGP 21 also has a lot going for it.

For one, it has all the officially licensed teams, bikes, and drivers from the MotoGP 2021 season.

Secondly, this is a game that looks absolutely gorgeous. This game was specifically designed for the Xbox Series S and X, and it shows.

While the game is difficult, it allows players to both race and manage their season as the game progresses. Just like F1 2021, it is slightly better and more polished than its predecessors, although it can feel a bit lacking when it comes to the depth of content available.

Trackmania Turbo

GenreRacing, simulation
Buy fromThe official Xbox store
LengthThe main story takes around 14 hours to complete and a full, 100% completionist run will take you between 120-130 hours to finish up entirely
DeveloperNadeo
Release date24th March 2016
Co-opLocal and online, up to a whopping 100 players supported depending on the game mode

No list of the best car games for the Xbox Series X|S would be complete without a Trackmania title.

Trackmania Turbo throws realism out of the window and focuses on providing the most extreme, action-packed, and fun racing experience possible.

While the game has been out since 2016 and looks a bit dated, it is the holy grail of racing games when it comes to replayability. Players can try out over 200 tracks and use the track builder to build an infinite number of additional raceways.

While racing other players is not the primary purpose of the game, the time trials are incredibly fun to tackle. You can also try to complete the circuit in the fastest way possible to try and beat the world record.

Unfortunately, Trackmania Turbo fails to be as feature-rich as its PC counterpart. However, it still does its best to bring an authentic Trackmania experience to Xbox and it’s definitely worth checking out if you’ve never played one of these games before.