Best Racing Games: Free, Cheap and Co-op Picks

Pull up a chair, grab a controller, and let's sort out the best racing games without the waffle. Whether you want a free kick-around after work, a cheap pick-up-and-play for four friends, or a proper sim with a wheel bolted to your desk, there is something here for you. I have split everything by budget and by how many people you are squeezing onto the couch, so you can skip to your bit.

Last updated: June 7, 2026.

Prices checked: June 2026. Sources: Steam, Epic, publisher pages and partner stores. We refresh prices and sale notes regularly.

Best picks at a glance

• Best free: Rocket League® (cars plus football, endlessly replayable)
• Best cheap (under ~£15): Wreckfest on sale, or SpeedRunners for party nights
• Best premium all-rounder: Forza Horizon 5
• Best for 2 players: BeamNG.drive for sandbox laughs, Rocket League® for ranked duos
• Best for big groups (5+): Rocket League® online, Wreckfest lobbies
• Best couch / split-screen: Wreckfest and SpeedRunners
• Best cross-platform: Rocket League®
• Best for committed sim fans: Assetto Corsa, DiRT Rally 2.0, Assetto Corsa Competizione
• Best arcade street racer: Need for Speed™ Unbound
• Best chill, non-racing detour: Car Mechanic Simulator 2021

Quick list

Prices are typical sale-to-near-launch ranges across Steam, Epic, GOG and partner stores like Eneba and Kinguin. Always cross-check before you buy.

Best free and cheap racing games

Start here if you want maximum fun per pound. Rocket League® is free, it is on every platform, and it turns a hatchback into a striker. It is technically rocket-powered football, but it scratches the racing itch with its boost management and aerial driving, and it is the single easiest game to get a group into. One round and your mates are hooked.

For a few quid more, SpeedRunners is a 2D side-on racer where four players grapple, boost and shove each other off-screen. It is the kind of game that ends in shouting and rematches. DiRT Rally often drops to around a tenner and gives you a proper rally sim on the cheap, while Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 is a calm, satisfying garage game for people who like cars but want to slow down.

Best premium racing games

When you want the full-fat experience, Forza Horizon 5 is the one I recommend to almost everyone. It is an open-world festival set in Mexico with hundreds of cars, generous driving assists for beginners and deep tuning for veterans. It scales from "my niece is steering with the assists maxed" to "I am no-assist drifting at 3am." If the price stings, Forza Horizon 4 delivers nearly the same feeling for less.

Want arcade street racing with attitude? Need for Speed™ Unbound brings a striking graffiti-meets-realism art style and a cat-and-mouse cop chase loop. Need for Speed™ Heat is the cheaper, slightly older sibling and still a great night-and-day tuner fantasy.

Best racing games for 2 players

Duos have it easy. Rocket League® doubles, where one of you attacks and one defends, is some of the best two-player gaming going. For something looser, BeamNG.drive is a physics sandbox where you and a friend can build absurd scenarios, jump school buses and watch the crash deformation in glorious detail. It is less a race and more a playground, which is exactly why it works for two.

If you both want a shared challenge, Assetto Corsa lets you set up private lobbies and trade lap times, and it is cheap enough that kitting out two people barely dents the wallet.

Best racing games for 3-4 players

This is party territory. Wreckfest is my go-to: it is a demolition derby racer with split-screen support, daft challenges (yes, there is a lawnmower) and zero learning curve. Nobody feels left behind because crashing is the point. SpeedRunners is the other instant-win for four, fast rounds, simple controls, maximum betrayal.

If your group leans slightly more serious, F1® 2020 still supports split-screen and gives you a genuine Formula 1 weekend without demanding sim-level commitment. Toggle the assists and even a first-timer can hold a racing line.

Best racing games for big groups (5+)

Once you go past four, you want online lobbies. Rocket League® scales to large casual matches and cross-play across PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch, so nobody is locked out by hardware. Wreckfest runs big online lobbies where the carnage only gets better with more cars. For the sim crowd, Assetto Corsa Competizione hosts large grids and is the closest thing to a real GT race weekend you can run with friends.

Best couch and split-screen racing games

If "is it fun for four friends on one sofa" is your only question, here is the honest shortlist. Wreckfest is the champion: split-screen, forgiving, hilarious. SpeedRunners is the fast, snacky pick for a single screen. F1® 2020 offers two-player split-screen if your group has a competitive streak. Sadly, true local split-screen is getting rarer in modern racers, so these earn their place.

Best cross-platform racing games

Mixed friend group on different consoles? Rocket League® is the gold standard, with full cross-play and cross-progression across PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch. It is genuinely the easiest way to get a hardware-divided group into the same lobby, which is why it tops this category and several others.

Best racing games for committed sim fans

Ready to graduate to a wheel and pedals? Start with Assetto Corsa. It is cheap, the physics are superb and the modding scene gives you every car and track imaginable. From there, Assetto Corsa Competizione is the official GT World Challenge sim and the place to learn proper GT3 racecraft. For dirt, gravel and snow, DiRT Rally 2.0 is a brutal, rewarding stage-rally sim that respects no one. On a budget, the original DiRT Rally still holds up beautifully.

Honourable / adjacent picks

These are great, but they are not core multiplayer racers, so I am being upfront about where they sit.

• Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 and Car Mechanic Simulator 2018: single-player garage sims. You build and restore cars rather than race them, so they go here, not in the co-op sections. Lovely wind-down games for petrolheads.
• BeamNG.drive: I rate it for two players above, but it is really a crash-physics sandbox more than a structured race, so manage expectations if you came for circuits and lap times.
• Need for Speed™ Heat: mostly a single-player street campaign with online side modes, so treat the multiplayer as a bonus rather than the headline.

FAQ

What is the best free racing game right now? Rocket League® is the standout free pick. It is cross-platform, easy to learn, and works equally well solo, in a duo or in a big group. If you want a strictly traditional racer for nothing, keep an eye on our giveaways page, since publishers rotate free titles regularly.

What is the best racing game for four players on the couch? Wreckfest for the chaos and split-screen, or SpeedRunners for fast 2D party rounds. Both are forgiving enough that nobody feels shut out, which matters more than realism on a Saturday night.

Do I need a steering wheel to enjoy these? No. Every game here is fully playable on a gamepad, and the casual and party picks are often better with a controller. Only invest in a wheel and pedals once a sim like Assetto Corsa or DiRT Rally 2.0 has earned a permanent spot in your rotation.

What is the best racing game for total beginners? Forza Horizon 5. The driving assists can do the braking and steering corrections for you, then you peel them back as you improve. It is the gentlest on-ramp into car culture I know.

Which racing game is best for cross-play between PC and consoles? Rocket League®, comfortably. Full cross-play and cross-progression across PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch means your mixed-hardware group plays together with zero hassle.

What is the cheapest way to try proper sim racing? Grab DiRT Rally or Assetto Corsa on sale, often around £10-£15. Both deliver serious physics without the premium price, so you can test whether sim racing suits you before spending on hardware.

Are the Car Mechanic Simulator games actually racing games? Not really, and I would not file them as racers. Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 is a single-player garage and restoration sim. It is a brilliant companion hobby for car fans, just do not expect to race in it.

When is the best time to buy these cheaply? Major seasonal sales are your friend. Watch our next Steam sale tracker and current deals, since racers like the Forza and DiRT series drop hard during summer and winter events.

The bottom line

The best racing game depends entirely on your crew and your budget. Go free with Rocket League®, go big and beautiful with Forza Horizon 5, go feral on the couch with Wreckfest, or go deep with Assetto Corsa and DiRT Rally 2.0. Whatever you pick, do not pay full price on a whim. Compare every store on our full catalog at /games, check what is on sale right now at /deals, and if money is tight, hunt the free rotations on /giveaways. Now go organise that tournament.

Riley, Scout Team