Xbox Game Pass: The Best Racing Games

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home February 3, 2025 3 Views 11 Min Read
Xbox Game Pass: The Best Racing Games



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Summary

  • Xbox Game Pass offers a wide range of racing games, from simulation to arcade, providing something for every racing fan.
  • Descenders, Grid, and Forza Motorsport are standout racing games available on Xbox Game Pass, offering thrilling gameplay.
  • Forza Horizon 4 and Forza Horizon 5 are top-notch racing games that excel in open-world exploration, diverse car selection, and breathtaking visuals.

Xbox Game Pass is the best deal in gaming providing hundreds of games at a manageable monthly cost. There is something for everyone on the service, from great open-world games to the best co-op games. There are a lot of games for racing fans as well, ranging from retro to modern hits. Microsoft is dishing out quality racing games for their Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

Xbox Game Pass Game characters and console

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Xbox Game Pass racing games range from strict simulation to super arcade, so you can always play what you like. If you love using an external steering wheel, you can do that in simulation games. Or if you like to relax and chill with a ‘mindless’ and fun arcade racer, Xbox Game Pass has you covered there, too.

Updated January 27, 2025 by Ben Jessey: The Xbox Game Pass catalog is in a constant state of flux. Therefore, several great racing games have been added to the service since we made this list. Therefore, we’ve returned to the piece to add them.

9

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered screenshot of a racing car being chased by cops.

There are several games that could be considered the best in the Need for Speed series, and Hot Pursuit typically ranks highly among them. This is likely why the developers didn’t alter much for the remaster. It’s essentially the same game, meaning it’s an exceptional racer that combines realistic graphics with arcade racing physics. Therefore, the cars are fast and easy to handle, while the visuals are beautiful.

Where it differs from many racers is the inclusion of the police. The cops can attempt to chase you down as you’re trying to race, or you can take the role of the law and chase other racers down.

8

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled

Crash, Coco, Dr. Neo Cortex, and Polar race through a dirt-racing arena in Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled.

When you think of arcade racing games revolving around a beloved gaming icon, your mind likely goes to Mario Kart. Yet, Crash Bandicoot has his own series of racing games, including Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.

It’s a remake of the 1999 Crash Team Racing game. Therefore, it’s similar to that title in that it’s a racing game featuring Crash himself, his friends, and his enemies. They all race around diverse tracks while using power-ups to help themselves and hinder the opposition. It’s very much a classic kart racing game.

7

Descenders

Screenshot of a motorcycle racer pulling off a stunt in Decenders.

Descenders is about downhill racing on bicycles. That may sound a little dull, but the game is anything but. It has an incredible sense of speed; you’ll genuinely feel like you’re, well, descending at a breakneck pace. This makes the races a little daunting, but it is rewarding to pull through and win.

If, by any chance, you love racing on mountain bikes in GTA 5, you’ll have a great time descending mountains in Descenders. It’s a complete package that will satisfy you like few other racing experiences can.

6

Dirt 5

Dirt 5 screenshot of a colorful car going off a jump in a Halloween track.

The game strayed from its simulation roots and became a little more accessible for racing fans. It tipped slightly towards arcade racing but not enough to completely become non-serious. It has gorgeous-looking graphics, a physics-based driving system, and genuinely fun tracks to drive on.

If you love off-road or closed-track racing, Dirt 5 is one of the best ones available on the system. There is also a great progression system that can keep you engaged for a long while.

5

F1 23

Redbull holds the racing lead as others try and overtake in F1 2023.

This racing game is not for everyone, but those who do love Formula racing will appreciate it plenty. It’s a simulation-based game with realistic Formula cars to drive. The physics are as close to the real deal as the developer could muster, so you’re really hopping into high gear here.

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If you love this type of racing game, F1 23 is arguably the best on Xbox Game Pass. While it isn’t as big of an improvement over the F1 22, it is still a great experience for the fans of the genre – and you can check out the predecessor on Game Pass, too, to see if it’s more to your taste.

4

Forza Motorsport (2023)

Forza Motorsport 2023 screenshot of a blue and yellow car racing on a track.

Speaking of simulation-based racing, here’s the latest Forza Motorsport. It’s not quite as intense in this regard as something like F1, but it doesn’t strive to be. It’s the natural companion series to Forza Horizon; the latter is all about its dramatic open-world, its semi-sim, semi-arcade style of vehicle handling; all that jazz.

two cars driving in opposite directions in forza horizon 5 rally adventure

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Forza Motorsport keeps you on the tracks, and it punishes you more ‘appropriately’ for bumping into obstacles and the like. Its library of vehicles isn’t as vast, either, but the cars it chooses are all well-suited to its subgenre, including some bona fide classics from across the decades. If you want something more focused than Horizon, but with the same level of care from its creators, look no further.

3

Wreckfest

Wreckfest screenshot of a bunch of destroyed cars on the corner of a track.

Wreckfest takes physics-based car destruction and turns the dial to the max. The game lets you witness some amazing crashes. You know. If that’s your thing. The best part? You could be the architect of all these crashes.

This is a contact racer that pits you against other racers aiming to cross the finish line. Most racers do involve aiming to cross the finish line, but in Wreckfest, you’ve got some real choices on how to accomplish that task. You can play it safe or go for the kill – when a car hits a car, it’s almost like a Twisted Metal moment.

2

Burnout Paradise Remastered

Burnout Paradise Remastered screenshot of two cards driving on a road, next to each other.

There was a time when Burnout was the king of arcade racers. Burnout Paradise brings the core gameplay that made the original game so special. The graphics are improved, but the loop remains the same. It’s a fast-paced racer that lets you take down other drivers on the track.

Shove racers off the road, into traffic, or even the sides to make them flip in spectacular fashion. The inclusion of iconic music tracks makes the game all the more enjoyable.

1

Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5 screenshot showing a white and blue supercars racing each other in an abandoned hangar.

Forza Horizon 5 is not only the crown jewel of Xbox Game Pass but probably the greatest racing game in the past several years. It has everything going for it. A huge open world to explore, hundreds of cars to drive, multiple racing disciplines, and those trademark gorgeous graphics that have the series pop for so long.

The arcade-like handling will push simulation hardcore fans away, but for everybody else, this is gold. If you are looking for a beautiful-looking racing game that pushes the graphical power of the Series consoles, Forza Horizon 5 just cannot be beat.

Featured Image for Best Co-Op Games On Xbox Game Pass

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Best Co-Op Games On Xbox Game Pass

The Xbox Game Pass has been a welcome addition to how Microsoft approaches the gaming experience. But which available titles are the best for co-op?

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