The 50 Best Driving Games Ever, Ranked

When I was a kid, I voraciously played any video game related to driving. It didn't matter if it was in a city or off-road racing — when I got to be behind the wheel of something and maneuver it through streets and cliffs or over ramps and jumps, I was hooked.

Driving games are fun because you can drive vehicles in ways you would never dream of doing in real life. Not many people can say they've driven a Formula 1 car on a track at top speeds (I sure can't). But we can all enjoy racing a go-cart down traffic-filled streets or dodging obstacles and chasms on our motocross bikes in one of many awesome driving games out there.

With all these choices available to us as gamers (and soon-to-be drivers), picking out the best driving games is no easy task. Fortunately, this article helped with this decision.

These are the 50 best driving games, as chosen by experts and fans.

Top 1-10

Gran Turismo is a 1997 racing simulation video game developed and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for its PlayStation console. After five years of development time, the game was well-received by critics and fans alike, shipping a total of 10.85 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling PlayStation game at the time of the site's closure in 2019. In addition, many publications have deemed it one of the greatest video games of all time.

1. Gran Turismo - Sony PlayStation (1998)
2. Sega Rally Championship - Arcade (1994)
3. Super Mario Kart - SNES (1993)
4. Out Run - Arcade (1986)
5. Forza Horizon 4 – Xbox and PC (2018)
6. Burnout 3: Takedown - PlayStation 2, Xbox (2004)
7. Daytona USA - Arcade (1993)
8. GTR 2: FIA GT Racing Game – PC (2006)
9. Colin McRae Rally - PlayStation (1998)
10. Rocket League – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC (2015)

Top 11-20

Assetto Corsa is a racing game developed by the Italian video game developer Kunos Simulazioni. The game has an emphasis on a realistic driving experience with support for extensive customization and moddability. Assetto Corsa was first released through the Steam Early Access program in 2013 and officially left Early Access as the final release version in 2014.

The 50 Best Driving Games Ever, Ranked

11. Assetto Corsa – PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One (2014)
12. Gran Turismo 7 – PS4 and PS5 (2022)
13. Pole Position - Arcade (1982)
14. Assetto Corsa Competizione – PC (2018)
15. Forza Motorsport 7 – Xbox (2017)
16. Ridge Racer - PlayStation (1995)
17. Dirt Rally 2.0 – PC, Xbox, and PlayStation (2019)
18. Automobilista 2 – PC (2020)
19. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC (2010)
20. Grid - PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC (2013)

Top 21-30

F1 22 is a racing video game developed by Codemasters and published by EA Sports. It is the thirteenth entry in the F1 series by Codemasters. The game holds an official license for the 2022 Formula One and Formula 2 championships. The game was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 1 July 2022.

21. F1 22 – PC, Xbox, and PlayStation (2022)
22. iRacing – PC (2008)
23. F355 Challenge - Dreamcast (2000)
24. DriveClub VR – PlayStation 4
25. RaceRoom Racing Experience – PC (2013)
26. Crazy Taxi - Dreamcast (2000)
27. Project Gotham Racing 3 - Xbox 360 (2005)
28. Grand Prix 2 - PC (1996)
29. Road Rash - Mega Drive (1991)
30. Lotus Turbo Challenge 2 - Amiga (1991)

Top 31-40

Richard Burns Rally is a racing game that was published by SCi and developed by Warthog with advice from the late WRC champion Richard Burns. The game was released in July 2004 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, and Gizmondo. A GameCube version was planned but later cancelled when European sales failed to meet expectations. Although reviews were mixed, many gamers praise the game for its realistic portrayal of real-life courses and its complex physics engine.

31. Richard Burns Rally – PC, Xbox, and PS2 (2004)
32. Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament - Mega Drive, SNES (1994)
33. Real Racing 3 - iOS and Android (2013)
34. Destruction Derby - PlayStation (1995)
35. Diddy Kong Racing - N64 (1997)
36. rFactor -Windows PC (2005)
37. Wipeout - PlayStation (1995)
38. Hard Drivin’ - Arcade (1989)
39. Test Drive Unlimited - Xbox 360 (2006)
40. TOCA Touring Car Championship - PlayStation (1997)

Top 41-50

Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II is an arcade-style Formula One racing video game developed and manufactured by Sega for the Sega Genesis and Mega Drive, Master System, and the Game Gear in 1992. The game was also endorsed by then-Formula One champion Ayrton Senna. In the game, players are able to choose from a number of tracks in Sega's World Championship season mode and can race three races set on fictional tracks in the "Senna GP" mode.

41. Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II - Mega Drive (1992)
42. Chase HQ - Arcade (1988)
43. Rock ‘n’ Roll Racing – Mega Drive and SNES (1993)
44. Night Driver - Arcade (1976)
45. Driver - PlayStation (1999)
46. Stunt Car Racer – Amiga and Atari ST (1989)
47. Cruis'n Blast – Arcade (2017)
48. Spy Hunter - Arcade (1983)
49. World Rally – Arcade (1993)
50. Super Cars II – Amiga, Atari ST (1991)

Final Thought

Thanks for taking a look at our list of the 50 best driving games of all time. Some of these may be old, but they're classics in their own right, and we'd encourage anyone to check them out if you get the chance. If you're new to racing games, this list is also a great place to start taking a look and finding out which ones suit you down to the ground. We hope that you've enjoyed scrolling through this collection and that you'll come back to take a look in the future when there's more updates.