10. Dirt 5

Dirt 5 gameplay 

The Dirt franchise is an absolute staple in the racing simulator genre for anyone who likes action-packed, adrenaline inducing racing. With its focus on rally and rallycross, you’ll spend a large portion of your time on this game chucking the car, full-send style, into corners, with no regard for breaking zones or apexes. With its split screen function, you can go sideways in your favourite rally cars with a friend, making it the perfect couch or party game for friends who love to drift together. 

9. Rocket League 

Rocket League gameplay 

Rocket League puts a spin on the racing simulator genre by incorporating elements of traditional sports. In this popular and highly acclaimed game, two teams must battle it out to push a ball into the opposing team’s net using only their cars for propulsion. You can play this game alone with AI, but with its highly competitive nature, Rocket League is best enjoyed as a multiplayer game, and with the incorporation of a local multiplayer split screen mode, you can team up with your buddies to shoot some hoops together.

8. TrackMania Turbo 

TrackMania Turbo gameplay 

The TrackMania franchise benefits from a highly dedicated fanbase. This game is similar to Rocket League in that you play as a miniature car racing around vast and highly stylised ‘tracks’, which resemble arenas more than anything. This game is all about setting the fastest time possible, and with the split screen mode you can take the competitive element of this game up a notch by competing with friends to see who truly is the fastest in the group. Personally, I find that this game is great for settling scores among friends. You and your best bud come to a disagreement? Why not settle it on the track?

7. Forza Motorsport 7 

Forza Motorsport 7 gameplay 

Forza is a well-established racing game franchise that manages to find a good balance between hardcore simulation and arcade. Even though this game is part of the ‘Motorsport’ line, which aims to bring the franchise in line with the more realistic racing style of games such as Gran Turismo, it still incorporates ‘carcade’ elements, so you shouldn’t feel shy about hopping on this game to do a few laps if you’re an intermediate racer or even a newbie. 

6. WipEout Omega Collection 

WipEout Omega Collection gameplay 

No racing game brings back fond memories of childhood quite like Wipeout. This Playstation exclusive takes the racing genre into the domain of sci-fi, as you rocket around futuristic tracks collecting power ups and boosts while launching your car off humongous jumps. I used to love playing this game with my brother on the Playstation 2, and this modern iteration hangs on to the multiplayer element but brings the franchise into the present day with updated graphics and gameplay. 

5. GRIP 

GRIP gameplay 

GRIP is what would happen if you took Mario Kart and transported it into a dystopian, sci-fi, mecha universe. This game really brings out the competitive side in people, as just like in Mario Kart, you have to use everything at your disposal, including rockets and machine guns, to hunt down your enemy and cross the finish line in first place. Many a friendship has been brought to the brink of ruin with this game, so be careful who you play this with!

4. WRC 8 

WRC 8 gameplay 

The WRC franchise is well respected in the rally genre. These games aim for realism in their style, something that this iteration of the game does very well. In the split screen coop mode you can race around your favourite rally tracks with a friend, but bear in mind you won’t be able to see each other on the track at the same time. Thus, it isn’t a ‘race’ per-se, rather a competition to see who can get the quickest lap around the circuit. Nevertheless, it’s sure to get your competitive juices flowing. 

3. Horizon Chase Turbo 

Horizon Chase Turbo gameplay 

This game aims to bring the classic arcade racing experience into the modern day. Its style is highly reminiscent of the arcade cabinets of the 80s and 90s, with its simplistic colours and textures and trailing lights effect. If you feel like experiencing a bit of nostalgia, this is the perfect game for you, and with the inclusion of a split screen mode you can experience it with friends. 

2. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled 

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled gameplay 

This is Sony’s take on the famous Mario Kart franchise. With many beloved characters from the Crash Bandikoot universe, this game combines fun and interesting tracks with a good variety of weapons and power ups to create a highly engaging racing experience. The scenery is the real star in this game. Every track is immensely detailed, with bright, popping colours and loads of secret shortcuts for you to find. So, find a friend (or three), hop on, and have fun attempting to blow each other up with missiles as you race around these tracks. 

1. Gran Turismo Sport 

Gran Turismo Sport gameplay 

Gran Turismo is certainly up there with some of the greatest racing games of all time. The franchise never fails to disappoint fans, with a hyper realistic physics model, amazing graphics, and a jaw dropping selection of cars. If you’re new to the world of sim racing, this one might take a bit of getting used to, but if you’re already well-versed in the genre you should have no problem getting to grips with this game. The split screen mode allows you to compete with friends as you battle it out on the track to see who can be crowned the fastest. 

You may also be interested in:

• The 15 Best Racing Games Ever Made
• [Top 10] Best Racing Games With Car Customization
• [Top 10] Best 2D Racing Games Right Now
•  
• [Top 10] Best Racing Games for Android
• [Top 10] Best Racing Bike Games Right Now
• [Top 10] Best 2 Player Racing Games To Play Today
•  
• [Top 15] Best Racing Games to Play Right Now
• [Top 10] Best Split-Screen Racing Games
• [Top 10] Racing Games With Steering Wheel Support for PC
•  
• [Top 5] Racing Games With Controller Support for Android
• [Top 5] Racing Games With Controller Support for PC
•  
• [Top 10] Best Racing Games With Story
• [Top 10] Best Online Racing Games To Play Today