Racing games can be classified as arcade-style or simulation type. If you've got a flair for fast-paced video games, this genre is for you. Racing games can take you to your chosen vehicle's fastest speed while driving in a certain landscape.
Whether it is a race simulator or an open-world, Xbox One brings you heart-racing games allowing you to hit virtual roads rather than the actual ones. With so many games to choose from, it can be challenging to know where to begin. We've done the work for you, and assembled a list of the best racing games for Xbox One.
Forza Horizon 4
The Forza Horizon games are distinct from the Forza Motorsport series. Though the game was released in 2018, it's still one of the most popular racing games as it's exclusive for Xbox and offers better graphics and other amazing features.
Instead of racing on world-famous tracks, you'll be racing in an open world environment in Forza Horizon. Take a ride in the world of Forza Horizon 4 if you want a more arcade-style racing experience while still enjoying the realism that Forza has to offer. With over 450 cars to drive around historic Britain, the latest installment is one of the best racing games ever made.
Dynamic seasons are a standout feature in Forza Horizon 4: you get to experience dry, rainy, muddy, snowy, and icy conditions in a shared open environment during your campaign. With online multiplayer, you can also race with your mates. Forza Horizon 4 is regularly updated with new material.
Forza Motorsport 7
Forza Motorsport 7 is Xbox One's top racing video game. It is a true race simulator featuring some amazing complex weather shifts. During the day, several of these changes occur. For example, you could be driving in pleasant weather when it unexpectedly begins to rain, turning a high-speed race in bright sunshine into a feat of avoiding muddy puddles in poor visibility.
It's pitch dark at night, except for the occasional headlights, adversary tail lights, and sunrise now and then. The visuals are incredible, and the sound effects add to the realism by allowing you to hear everything from your car's turbo whizzing to gear shifts in greater detail.
Its console is exclusive to the Xbox One. Drive in more than 30 world-famous locations and even play in the Forza Racing Championships esports league with more than 700 cars to choose from. Those who own an Xbox One X will play at 60 frames per second in true 4K resolution with HDR.
Project Cars 2
After hugely popular but difficult-to-play, Project Cars, comes its sequel, Project Cars 2. It provides the users with the realistic racing experience they need, choosing from more than 100 licensed cars and racetracks. The attention to detail that was put into Project Cars 2's gameplay is its most notable aspect.
It picks up where Project 1 left off, and while it boasts a long list of features, the endless variety of racetracks is what we enjoyed the most. If you prefer the Laguna Seca or the Francorchamps, Project Cars 2 contains recreations of nearly every racetrack imaginable. Use the game's weather system to simulate almost any weather situation, whether it's under the burning sun or at top speeds on a rainy night.
However, while Project Cars 2 is a fantastic game, it is not without flaws. The game is a little buggy at times, but this isn't a deal-breaker because it can be fixed with a few patches. It also lacks downloadable content, but it's one of the best racing games on Xbox One and a worthy addition to your gaming collection.
Team Sonic Racing
Fans of the old school Sonic the Hedgehog and the Sonic the Hedgehog Movie will find Team Sonic Racing an awesome ode to the franchise. Combining elements of arcade and competitive racing, this fast-paced game is the perfect kid-friendly game.
The team component of this game is awesome, as you can play with friends both online or locally. You can have up to 12 players at once per race online, or play a 4-racer split-screen when playing locally. There are options for offline racing as well, with modes like Grand Prix, Exhibition, and Time Trial included.
In a fourth mode called Team Adventure Mode, you enjoy a unique story that helps you get prepared for the team racing events. Team Sonic Racing also lets you choose from 15 different characters from the Sonic universe to play as your racer, all of which have their own racing strengths and weaknesses.
Dirt 4
Dirt 4 is a rallying-themed racing game. In different weather conditions, players participate in timed stage events on the runway and off-road ground. Fitzroy in Australia, Tarragona in Spain, Michigan in the United States, Värmland in Sweden, and Powys in Wales are the five rally stages.
Even though it has been around for a while, Dirt 4 continues to grow in popularity, while maintaining a steady user base. You will enjoy all of its features whether you are a casual gamer or a serious rally fan. Dirt 4 contains Your Stage: a rally route development tool that allows you to create unique stages at the touch of a button.
You choose your position and route parameters, and Your Stage takes care of the rest, creating a one-of-a-kind rally stage that you can race, share with friends, and challenge them to beat your time. Experienced rally players can use Your Stage to create longer, more complex routes, while beginners can use it to make shorter, easier routes while honing their skills.
F1 2019
If you've aspired to be a Formula One driver, then F1 2019 will bring your imagination to life as close as possible. Although F1 2019 lacks a wide range of requirements and gameplay, it focuses on racing a full Formula One season, making it more fun yet exhausting.
This game features all the official teams, 21 circuits, and drivers from the 2019 season, meaning you get to race against your favorites from the sport. This is also the first title in the Codemasters F1 series games to have Formula 2 vehicles, which are completely driveable and playable in the game's career mode.
When you start the game, you'll see the menu screen and the Customization tab, where you can customize your playable character for the career mode. There is a robust multiplayer component to this game, with daily missions and competitions. You can even create your own tournaments and customize your own F1 car.
Need For Speed Heat
When it comes to racing games, the Need for Speed franchise is one of the oldest and even has its own film. Need for Speed Heat, released in November 2019, is the most recent game to bear the title. It's an arcade-style racing game centered in Palm City, a fictional Miami-inspired city where cops are out to stop car racing.
You are partnered with two characters at the start of the game: Ana, a street racer, and her brother Lucas, a mechanic with several garages. Need for Speed Heat lets you choose between Day and Night modes. While cops are present at all hours of the day and night, things are more relaxed during the day, when you can compete in racing events and earn bank, the game's official currency.
However, if you prefer illegal racing with cops chasing you, night mode is the way to go. You will unlock more items for your car to level up your performance as you gain more reps. Although the cop chases can be unbalanced, Need for Speed Heat is one of the best arcade-style racing games available on the Xbox One.
NASCAR Heat 5
NASCAR Heat 5 is a racing video game featuring most NASCAR Cup Series drivers, vehicles, and teams. It is officially licensed by NASCAR, presenting a Career mode and other game enhancements compared to its predecessors. These improvements include better AI, more cameras, Test Session feature, player DNF (did not finish), and an online challenge mode.
A new testing mode allows you to fine-tune and perfect your racing tracks, as well as play with various vehicles before you find the best vehicle configuration for each track. This is a game-changer since it allows you to customize your car to your own skill.
NASCAR Heat 5 features 34 licensed tracks in single-player mode and the eNascar Heat Pro League, which is available for the first time on a gaming console. As always, the graphics are incredible, with very lifelike imagery and racing components.
Conclusion
Racing video games are one of those games that will keep you on your toes right until the end. Every second counts because there are tons of things that can go wrong like being thrown off a cliff or having your car wrecked.
Give one of these awesome Xbox One racing games a try.
