Best Racing Games for Low-End PCs

Nvidia and AMD routinely launch new graphics cards; however, Steam’s hardware survey highlights that most gamers are clinging to older GPUs. For a large part of the population, this limits the number of games they can access if they can’t afford the latest cutting-edge technology. Thankfully, gamers saving up for their next custom PC don’t have to miss out on playing games. In fact, there are a multitude of compelling games that run perfectly well on older hardware.

Racing games, in particular, can run well on PCs with modest hardware. We’ve shortlisted eight titles that offer a compelling driving experience and also come with other unique game modes and features. Those with a non-gaming laptop or PC, take note.

Low-end PCs are something of an evolving concept, as technology is constantly improving and newer, shinier PC parts redefine what a high-end vs. a low-end PC is each year. For this list, a low-end PC ranges from a Core 2 Duo with integrated graphics to an i5 Intel 4th generation PC with GT 750 or equivalent. None of the games featured here require anything more than that.

Updated January 12, 2025, by Hamza Haq: Racing games have fallen out of favor from the mainstream sphere, with RPGs, open-world games, and shooters taking up much of the industry’s attention. But as with any gaming genre that goes overlooked by the big studios, smaller indie developers are always waiting in the wings to take a crack at it, especially if they themselves are fans. For low-end PC owners, this is a blessing in disguise as indie devs typically cater their games to a wider audience, and their games are much more likely to run well on a potato PC than a AAA title.

14

Re-Volt

Nostalgic RC Racing Fun

• Minimum CPU Requirements: CPU with 1.8GHz clock speed or better
• Minimum GPU Requirements: 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 9.0c and 256 MB VRAM

Re-Volt delivers a splash of nostalgia as players control remote control cars through a myriad of fun and interesting tracks. The cars must navigate around real-world objects like toys, chairs, tables, and more to reach the finish line. Players can choose from 28 different RCs and race them on 13 tracks spread across museums, supermarkets, and more.

The game has a simple but fun combat system that allows players to collect power-ups like rockets and more to disrupt the opposition. Re-Volt is the least demanding title on this list, and should run well on PCs and non-gaming laptops with old CPUs and GPUs.

13

WRC 7 FIA World Rally Championship

WRC Action for Every PC

• Minimum CPU Requirements: Intel i3 4th Gen, AMD A8
• Minimum GPU Requirements: Nvidia GT 730 / AMD HD 5600
• Available on Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Fans of the Dirt series will enjoy the WRC 7 FIA World Rally Championship, which is centered around the 2017 World Rally season. The game offers a variety of modes, including a quick match that lets players jump into the action straight away, as well as a career mode, where players start their journey behind the wheel of a rally car as a junior WRC racer.

The game features a range of official cars, beautiful courses, and top-notch physics that make each race more challenging. It also features Epic stages, which comprise long races with around 15 minutes of playtime. While it is designed with the utmost realism in mind, the game does offer assisted controls for novice gamers. Do note that the game is somewhat taxing; however, it should run well on most modern non-gaming laptops, albeit at low graphics settings.

12

Road Redemption

Post-Apocalyptic Biker Chaos

• Minimum CPU Requirements: CPU with 1.4GHz clock speed
• Minimum GPU Requirements: DirectX 9 compatible GPU with 1.5GB VRAM
• Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Android

There are many destruction-focused racing games on this list, but none fit the bill better than Road Redemption. The game takes inspiration from Road Rash, and follows the story of a group of bikers in a post-apocalyptic world. When the leader of a weapons cartel is assassinated, a large bounty is placed on the killer. Players must venture into the enemy territory, hunt down the assassin, and reap the rewards.

Unlike other racing games on this list, Road Redemption’s campaign has a choice of bikes up for grabs. Players can level up their stats and choose from a range of permanent upgrades that affect their character’s health, strength, and the bike’s performance. The game is designed to work on low-powered machines with 2GB VRAM GPUs.

11

Assetto Corsa

Real Racing, Low Specs

• Minimum CPU Requirements: AMD Athlon X2 2.8 GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHZ
• Minimum GPU Requirements: AMD Radeon HD 6450 or Nvidia GeForce GT 460
• Developed by KUNOS-Simulazioni Srl, the game is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One

Assetto Corsa is an incredibly popular racing simulator released in 2013. It aims to provide players with realistic, physics-based car handling, with excellent variations between different types of cars. Everything, from how the tires interact with the asphalt to how temperature changes the way the car moves, is updated in real-time, giving racing buffs a taste of the real thing.

There are over 170 different cars available to players, though a good majority of them are locked behind DLC. A huge selling point of Assetto Corsa is that all cars in the game are true to their real-life counterparts. An F1 car will handle exactly like it would in reality, and handling it like a regular race car will only result in a loss. Assetto Corsa is a game for true racing enthusiasts, and those hoping to jump in for a quick bit of arcade fun should look elsewhere. The biggest reason why Assetto Corsa is the racing simulator to play is the online multiplayer. With an average player count of 15,000 active players, matchmaking is fun, fast, and, most importantly, fair.

10

Descenders

Downhill Racing Redefined

• Minimum CPU Requirements: Intel Core i5
• Minimum GPU Requirements: Nvidia Geforce GTX 550 or equivalent

Descenders is a downhill bike racing game with a twist. Every racing track is randomly generated. When players start a new campaign, the game generates a world map filled with multiple nodes, and each node is a procedurally generated racing course with a unique level design. Players are given the cliff notes of what the track offers, like the steepness level and the curves, but little else. Since each new map is unique, Descenders offers a ton of replay value.

Each track can be completed by simply reaching the finish line, but to earn points, players are encouraged to do stunts like front and backflips. Points can be exchanged for crew members, who provide passive buffs in subsequent tracks. Failing to land a stunt typically results in a wipeout, which counts as a death. Each run allows for a limited number of wipeouts before it fails completely. Descenders‘ biggest appeal is its ability to convey a very realistic sense of momentum when racing downhill. The feeling of barely managing to control the bike as it hurtles down a steep slope, pulled more by gravity than by the player, is conveyed with stark clarity. On top of that, tracks in Descenders don’t have a timer. Points are mainly awarded for performing stunts, which makes it the ideal game for players who enjoy the feeling of dirt rally-style racing but hate being timed.

9

Need For Speed: Most Wanted (2012)

Open-World Racing Classic

• Minimum CPU Requirements: Core 2 Duo or Athlon X2
• Minimum GPU Requirements: DirectX 10.1 compatible GPU with 512MB VRAM

Need for Speed: Most Wanted is an iconic racing game, and its 2012 iteration is one of the best open-world racing adventures. Unlike the original, Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) doesn’t have an overarching story. Instead, the game is set in an open world where players are free to race however they please. Another stark difference from other games in the franchise is that players can unlock every car in the game within the first few hours of playtime.

In fact, the game’s brimming repository of fast cars is hidden in its open-world setting. To unlock a car, players must simply find it and add it to their garage. The game has all the hallmarks of a classic NFS game, including adrenaline-fuelled cop chases, high-octane races with massive jumps and shortcuts, luxurious cars, in-depth vehicle customization, and more. As it is quite old, the game should run comfortably on most non-gaming laptops and older PCs.

8

7

Motor Town: Behind the Wheel

Drive, Explore, Relax

• Minimum CPU Requirements: Intel Core i5-4460 or AMD FX-8120
• Minimum GPU Requirements: GeForce GTX 750 4GB, Radeon RX 460 4GB
• Developed by P3 Games, the game is available on PC

Gamers looking for a relaxing driving game should wishlist Motor Town: Behind the Wheel. Although the game is in Early Access, it has a lot of content that can be enjoyed even today. It should be noted that this is not technically a racing game. Instead, it’s a driving simulator of sorts where players can do different jobs associated with various vehicles. For instance, if using a cop car, players will be able to take on the duties of a cop.

Unlike other racing games, players can hop in and out of their vehicles, and even speed up time by entering their homes. The game has realistic driving mechanics and can even be played with a racing wheel. While there is no overarching story, the game does have a race mode where players can compete with AI on different tracks. The game is designed to run well on PCs and laptops with modest specs.

6

Art of Rally

Low-Poly Art, High-Octane Rally

• Minimum CPU Requirements: Core i3 2.9GHz or AMD equivalent
• Minimum GPU Requirements: Nvidia GTX 650 or AMD equivalent

Art of Rally’s beautiful, albeit simple, low-poly art style may give the impression that it’s a casual racing game. On the contrary, the game has a slick learning curve and incorporates various driving mechanics unique to Rally racing. These include tricks like the Scandinavian flick, counter-steering, left-foot braking, and more.

The game has over 70 different racing venues inspired by real-world locations. Players can use the game’s photo mode to snap their adventures in Italy, Finland, Tokyo, and many other countries. Coupled with its relaxing OST, Art of Rally is among the best racing games, and it runs quite well on low-end machines.

5

Wreckfest

Destruction Derby Reimagined

• Minimum CPU Requirements: Intel Core i3with 2.8 GHz or AMD equivalent
• Minimum GPU Requirements: Nvidia GTX 560 or AMD Radeon HD 7770

Wreckfest is a destruction racing game that comes at a time when there is a serious dearth of these types of games for fans of titles like FlatOut to try out. Instead of competing for who can get the fastest time in a circuit, players compete to see who can muscle out the other cars in the race through balls-to-the-walls, deliciously violent vehicular carnage.

The cars are customizable, ranging from new paint jobs to a completely new engine and everything in between. It’s a fun, mindless brawler that plays beautifully on even the lowest-end PCs because of its low system requirements. And since it is a stark departure from the traditional racing games, it serves as a great palate cleanser.

4

HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED™️2 – Turbocharged

Arcade Racing, Hot Wheels Style

• Minimum CPU Requirements: Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD FX-4350
• Minimum GPU Requirements: Nvidia GTX 1050 or AMD RX 460

HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED 2 – Turbocharged is an arcade racer with excellent graphics and surprisingly modest system requirements, considering the visual candy that’s on display. A more than worthy sequel to the first Hot Wheels Unleashed, it takes the concept of setting up Hot Wheel race tracks in the backyard and runs with it, quite literally. The tracks are imaginative and quirky, taking mundane real-life locations like an office or a garden and turning them into something fantastical. Car handling is excellent, but nothing in-depth, with most of the focus going into porting iconic Hot Wheels cars as faithfully as possible. That is not to say that the races themselves are without nuance, far from it. HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED 2 has a class system that vastly differentiates how cars of certain types handle. A Heavy Duty, for example, will be much less nimble than a Swift, but a lot more grounded as well. Additionally, the cars can be upgraded and customized with new parts, so players can fine-tune how their favorite Hot Wheel runs much more effectively.

3

F1 2023

Formula Fun for Every Fan

• Minimum CPU Requirements: Intel Core i3-2130 or AMD FX 4300
• Minimum GPU Requirements: Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti or AMD RX 470

Gamers looking to take on the likes of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton and compete for podium finishes should check out F1 2023. The game has a number of modes to keep players engaged for hours. The MyTeam mode lets players sign with a team and help them win a Championship. Alternatively, players can pursue racing for different teams in the Driver mode. The game also has a story mode dubbed Braking Point 2, which picks up after the events of its namesake in F1 2021.

The daily challenges, realistic driving mechanics, and ability to race as or alongside fan-favorite drivers further add to the game’s appeal. The game is designed to make the most of new-age machines and can leverage ray-traced graphics, although it can run on older PCs at lower resolution and quality presets, too.

2

Burnout Paradise Remastered

Open Roads, Unbridled Speed

• Minimum CPU Requirements: Core-i3 2120 or Phenom II X4 965
• Minimum GPU Requirements: Nvidia GT 450 or ATI Radeon HD 5750

Burnout Paradise Remastered draws a lot of parallels to NFS: MW 2012. To that end, the arcade racer doesn’t have a story, either. Instead, players are tasked with upgrading their driving license, which, in turn, unlocks various cars. The cars are segregated between different tiers, with Class A tier cars performing the best. More notably, players can explore the game’s massive open world freely.

The game offers various events, such as standard races and unique modes like Road Rage events, in which players must take down a specific number of cars in the allotted time. Rest assured, the game has oodles of content and will keep players on the edge of their seats.

1

Trackmania

The Definitive Racing PvP Experience

• Minimum CPU Requirements: Core-i5-2500k or AMD FX 6100
• Minimum GPU Requirements: Nvidia GT 660 or AMD Radeon R9 270X

For players looking for a game with an active community, a competitive PvP element, and leaderboards, no racing game comes close to Trackmania, one of the most difficult track racing games out there, where even a millisecond off the timer can mean the difference between 1st and 10th place. Players race on futuristic mind-bending tracks in F1 cars with semi-realistic physics, hoping to achieve the fastest lap time possible with various bronze, silver, gold, and author medals on the line. It’s even possible to create and share tracks, setting a challenge for other players to overcome.

Other features include the ‘Track of the Day’, where a new community-made track is set as a competing ground in an elimination format, a 2v2 mode where the tally of a duo’s fastest lap time wins, and even a Battle Royale mode. Fortunately for low-end PC owners, a needed element of any competitive game is that it has to be accessible to as large of an audience as possible, and one of the main ways of achieving that is by optimizing it to hell and back in order to make it run smoothly on even the most potato-est of machines, which Trackmania achieves.