Whether or not you like real-life motorsports, racing video games offer the exhilarating experience of sending luxury cars hurtling around tight asphalt turns or dirt tracks in ways you never dreamed possible. to do in the real world. Add a racing wheel and pedals to the mix, and things get even more immersive as you suddenly have to drive your vehicle almost exactly as you would a real car.
And with so many great racing games compatible with steering wheels on the PS5, Xbox Series S or X and PC, there’s no shortage of excitement whether you want realistic simulation racing or a frantic jaunt through open worlds. . It’s a huge investment to get a good setup, but well worth it if you’re a fan of this type of game.
My current favorite racing wheel is the Thrustmaster T-GT II racing wheel, which includes a separate three-pedal running board. It’ll set you back $800, but its high torque and real-time force feedback means it delivers an extremely realistic racing experience, letting you feel everything from differences in ground textures to tires slipping when you take a turn too quickly. It’s sturdy, comfortable to hold, and works on both PS5 and PC.
While you can get various racing frames and stands for playing in front of your living room TV, I simply clamped mine to my desk, placing the pedals on the floor, and playing through my existing monitor.
Once you’re set up, you’re ready to race. These are some of the best racing games I’ve found that benefit the most from the added realism of using a steering wheel and pedals set.
Gran Turismo/Sony
Available on: PS5, PS4
A PlayStation icon, the latest Gran Turismo outing brings exactly what you’ve come to expect from the series; photo-realistic graphics, a fleet of cars to choose from, and rigorously modeled real-world racing tracks from around the world. The game is stunning and lets you dive deep into the world of car modifications and tuning setups, if that’s your thing.
It is best played with a steering wheel and pedals set, allowing you to feel exactly as if you were behind the wheel of cars like McLaren, Aston Martin, Dodge or many others. Of course, it’s not perfect; making money is slow and, yes, you can just buy more with in-game microtransactions, as if paying the exorbitant price of $70 (£70) for the game wasn’t enough already.
But if you want to experience tracks like Silverstone or the iconic Nurburgring in vivid detail behind the wheel of some of your favorite cars, GT7 is a no-brainer for PlayStation owners.
You receive price alerts for Gran Turismo 7
Codemasters
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC (via Steam)
If you’ve been addicted to Netflix’s Drive To Survive series, maybe it’s time you made your own move into the world of F1 racing. F1 22 maintains its formula of putting you behind the wheel of the biggest, most powerful and most expensive race cars on the planet, sending you hurtling down real-world race tracks and challenging you not to take the best lines race.
You can create your own racing team and battle names like Verstappen, Hamilton, LeClerc, and Norris as you progress through the game. The physics are great with a racing wheel (although the way they Actually compare to actual F1 racing, I have no idea) and despite an often relentless focus on “right” driving, it’s still fun and enjoyable challenging to play.
You receive price alerts for F1 22
Read more: PS5 review: Exclusive games power Sony’s Space-Age console
Microsoft
Available on: Xbox, PC
The Forza Horizon series has been my favorite racing franchise since its launch, and Generation Five is no exception. Set in Mexico, Horizon 5 keeps the beautiful landscape of the open world open, allowing you to send a wide variety of real-life cars racing down volcanoes, over sand dunes, or down wide coastal roads at tire-screeching speeds.
I fully completed the game on the Xbox Series X using a standard controller, but trying it out with a steering wheel and pedals was a huge eye-opener for me. It was more challenging at first, but I quickly fell in love with the thrill of steering my Bugatti Chiron at full speed across the map or practicing my drifting skills in one of the Hoonigan vehicles.
It’s an exceptionally fun and worth playing game with racing wheel and pedals.
iRacing
Available on: PC
If Forza Horizon’s attitude is “drive it like you stole it”, then iRacing’s is most definitely “drive it like you borrowed it from your boss and your career is over if you get a scratch on it”. You won’t find any driving aids, auto-braking or steering guides, or any type of rewind mechanic or even a mini-map of the track you’re on here.
Instead, iRacing is all about pure realism, with tracks and physics modeled with brutal precision and an emphasis on authentic skill and knowledge of tracks and cars in order to do well. Unlike others on this list, iRacing is an online subscription game, where progression is achieved by competing in races against real players at set times throughout the day. Continuing your journey isn’t just about winning; you earn your next license instead by driving carefully, avoiding colliding with other cars or running off the track.
As a result, it’s arguably the least “fun” game on this list, but its laser-sharp focus on realism means it’s the closest you’ll actually get to feeling behind the wheel of a car. racing on a track and that’s why real pro racers would use iRacing as their training ground.
Read more: Best Gaming Laptops
Codemasters
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC
When you want to ditch slick asphalt tracks in favor of rain and mud, Dirt 5 is the game to watch. This rally racer leans less on the hardcore sim elements of others in the series, instead offering more accessible arcade-style gameplay that I really enjoyed.
The variety of tracks is good, the graphics are stunning, and the powerful gliding of the many vehicle types around tricky corners was enjoyable with my steering wheel and pedals. There are driver assist options (which I used, as I’m here for fun, not a car physics lesson), but you can adjust them accordingly.
The career mode itself is pretty forgettable, but you’ll keep coming back for fun races and beautiful scenery.
You are receiving price alerts for DIRT 5 – Standard – Xbox Series X [Digital Code]
Codemasters
Available on: PS4, PS5 (backwards compatible), Xbox, PC
I loved that Dirt Rally 2.0 took me back to playing the original Colin McRae Rally on PS One way back in 1998. It’s a similar game to be fair, with full rally courses in beautiful locations in countries rally like Wales, Greece and New Zealand. Thankfully, the graphics and physics have evolved somewhat over the past 25 years, with gorgeous visuals and car driving that reacts to the environment, weather, and car damage.
The tracks are well modeled and having a good time means focusing on your driving, making full use of your brake pedal and paying close attention to any turns or jumps ahead. It’s much more of a rally sim than Dirt 5, but it’s still accessible enough for racing tourists like me to get in and have a lot of fun sending my car around tight corners.
You receive price alerts for Dirt Rally 2.0
