2023 racing game preview: Every new racing game coming this year

From Gran Turismo 7 to Need for Speed Unbound, we were spoiled with high-profile racing games in 2022. This year has a lot to live up to, but 2023 is already looking like another banger year for new racing games.

Best racing games coming in 2023

From the return of two long-dormant franchises, a promising Burnout spiritual successor, and even a new Mario Kart rival, there are lots of new racing games to look forward to this year. Several racing games were also delayed from 2022 to 2023 and we expect there will be other surprises throughout the year.

So, without further ado, here’s every upcoming racing game of 2023 announced so far along with other titles we expect to see this year.

Confirmed

Monster Energy Supercross 6

Release date: 10 March 2023
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

At the time of writing, Monster Energy Supercross The Official Videogame 6 is the only 2023 racing game with a confirmed release date.

Landing on PC and consoles on 10 March, Milestone’s sixth entry in the Monster Energy Supercross series sees seven-time Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath guide you through the new career mode.

Monster Energy Supercross 6 also brings cross-play multiplayer for the first time in the series along with a new free-roaming Supercross Park, Rhythm Attack mode, and new riding assists.

Monster Energy Supercross 6 was a fun time, and the sequel looks like it will be even better.

Forza Motorsport

Release date: Spring 2023
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC

One of this year’s most anticipated and important racing games is undoubtedly Forza Motorsport.

While Forza Horizon has hogged the limelight, Forza Motorsport has been on hiatus for the last six years. That hiatus is set to end this spring with Turn 10’s much-anticipated Forza Motorsport reboot.

Utilising the power of Xbox Series X, Forza Motorsport promises to be the most realistic game in the series yet with a new tyre model, detailed damage modelling, and fuel consumption.

Gran Turismo 7 has had a year-long head start and continues to receive monthly updates, but now it’s time for Forza Motorsport to make a comeback and reclaim the console sim racing crown with a truly next-gen racing experience.

Aside from a sly dig at GT7, Turn 10 and Microsoft have stayed silent since Forza Motorsport was shown off at the Microsoft & Bethesda Game Showcase last summer.

With a new Xbox game showcase rumoured for early 2023, we should see more of Forza Motorsport soon before it launches this spring.

Formula Retro Racing World Tour

Release date: Easter 2023
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

The rise of indie developers has led to a slew of retro racing game throwback titles. One notable example was Formula Retro Racing, an indie homage to early 3D polygonal racing games like Virtua Racing, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer. This year, Formula Retro Racing is getting a surprise sequel.

Formula Retro Racing World Tour will expand on the original with new locations and cars, with new vehicle types including muscle and race cars in addition to single-seaters.

Originally due to launch in December 2022, Formula Retro Racing World Tour is expected to arrive just in time for Easter. In the meantime, you can download a demo on Steam complete with VR support.

TT Isle of Man 3: Ride on the Edge 3

Release date: May 2023
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

Taking place on the treacherous country roads of the Isle of Man, the Tourist Trophy is one of the toughest races in the world. KT Racing’s Ride on the Edge series effectively recreated the thrill, danger, and challenge of the notorious road race.

Launching in May, Ride on the Edge 3 is being handled by Raceward, the Italian studio behind the underrated RiMS Racing.

With Monster Energy Supercross 6 confirmed and MotoGP 23 and SBK 23 also likely coming this year, two-wheeled racing game aficionados will be well catered for in 2023.

But even if you don’t normally play bike games, you won’t want to miss Ride on the Edge 3. This could be one of 2023’s most thrilling racing games.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown

Release date: TBA 2023
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

Back in 2006, Test Drive Unlimited pioneered the online open-world racer, paving the way for Forza Horizon and The Crew.

While Forza Horizon continues to get more popular with every game, we haven’t had a new TDU game for 12 years. That will finally change this year when TDU makes a triumphant return.

Developed by WRC Generations’ KT Racing, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown was originally slated for a September 2022 release before getting pushed back to 2023. Set in a 1:1 recreation of Hong Kong Island, fan expectations are astronomically high, which is why we still haven’t seen any proper gameplay footage.

With the Forza Horizon games feeling stale, we’re hoping TDUSC can revolutionise open-world driving games just like the original did. No other series has nailed the feeling of car ownership and the thrill of the open world, so there’s a good chance it will.

Wreckreation

Release date: TBA 2023
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

It’s no secret that arcade racers have passed their peak. But this isn’t stopping the team at Three Fields Entertainment from trying to revive the arcade racer with new IP Wreckreation.

From the original creators of Burnout, Wreckreation is an open-world sequel to Dangerous Driving. If Dangerous Driving was a spiritual successor to Burnout 3: Takedown, then Wreckreation is a spiritual successor to Burnout Paradise with a twist.

Set in a massive 400km-square open world Sledgehammer County, there’s a strong focus on player-created content. Players can collaborate to create their own stunt tracks known as “MixWorlds”, placing jumps, stunt ramps, loops, and obstacles in real-time together.

Combine this with high-speed arcade racing and spectacular crashes, and Wreckreation is essentially the new Burnout game EA refuses to greenlight.

Rennsport

Release date: TBA 2023
Platforms: PC

It’s not very often we see a new challenger try to take on the established sim racing titans like iRacing, rFactor 2 and Assetto Corsa Competizione. But 2023 will see a new kid on the sim racing block: Rennsport.

With a German development team made up of and advised by “professional drivers, racing strategists, programmers and Esports experts,” Rennsport aims to be “the most realistic racing simulation possible.”

Details on how the team plans to achieve this are slim, but we know the PC-only simulation will run on Unreal Engine 5, with early screenshots confirming the BMW M4 GT3, Audi R8 LMS Evo II, and Porsche 911 GT3 R will feature in the game.

There will also be a strong focus on esports through a partnership with ESL as well as modding support for content creators.

We won’t have to wait long to find out if Rennsport can shake up the sim racing scene, either. A closed beta is planned for January before an open beta in the spring. The final release is expected before the end of 2023.

Disney Speedstorm

Release date: TBA 2023
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

When you think of kart racers, you automatically think of Mario Kart. But there are other fun alternatives if you don’t own a Nintendo Switch. One kart racer attempting to dethrone the king of kart racers is Disney Speedstorm.

Originally slated for a 2022 release before it was delayed, this family-friendly racer features an ensemble cast of fan-favourite Disney and Pixar characters Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck to Monsters Inc’s Sulley, along with locations inspired by Disney and Pixar films.

Unlike Mario Kart, Disney Speedstorm is also multiplatform, free-to-play and supports cross-play multiplayer, helping it appeal to a wide player base. With all that in mind, this could be Mario Kart’s biggest threat yet.

Horizon Chase 2

Release date: TBA 2023
Platforms: TBA

As one of the most popular indie retro racing games, a Horizon Chase sequel seemed inevitable. Horizon Chase 2 sped onto Apple Arcade last year, but more players will get to experience the acclaimed arcade racer soon with a wider release on PC and all major consoles this year.

The original game’s vibrant visuals have received a makeover, with more detailed backdrops and car models, while a new World Tour takes you across exotic locations from Bangkok to the Amazon rainforest.

Adding to the retro atmosphere is another soundtrack from the legendary Barry Leitch, who composed the music for the Top Gear games on SNES.

Top Racer Collection

Release date: TBA
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

Horizon Chase is heavily inspired by the classic Top Gear games on SNES. But in 2023, you can relive the original 16-bit games on current formats.

Top Racer Collection (renamed because of obvious licensing conflicts with a certain BBC motoring show) is an HD compilation of Top Racer, Top Racer 2, Top Racer 3000 and Top Racer: Crossroads. There's even content crossover with Horizon Chase Turbo.

Stuntfest: World Tour

Release date: TBA 2023
Platforms: PC

Combining the best of Wreckfest, FlatOut, and Destruction AllStars, Stuntfest - World Tour is a high-octane multiplayer game mixing car combat with extreme sports.

Developed by Pow Wow Entertainment, up to 18 players battle it out in arenas crashing cars for points. The twist is you can eject your driver out of the car and fly around on jetpacks to find shortcuts. Think of it as battle royale with cars. 

Currently PC-only, Stuntfest - World Tour is expected to crash land on Steam this year.

Trail Out

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
Release date: TBA 2023

Initially released on PC last year, Trail Out is a new demolition derby racer from Russian developer Good Boys. Comparisons with BugBear’s Wreckfest are unavoidable, but Trail Out is more of a spiritual successor to the FlatOut games (no, not the woeful FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction).

Compared to Wreckfest, the handling is more arcadey and the tracks are littered with destructible objects, explosives, and obstacles to avoid such as moving trains, making for some chaotic racing.

With over 1,400 Very Positive user reviews on Steam at the time of writing, Trail Out has established a cult following from fans of the FlatOut games.

Following the PC release, Trail Out is smashing onto PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch sometime in 2023.

Indycar

Release date: TBA 2023
Platforms: PC

Despite its popularity in America, IndyCar doesn’t get as anywhere near as much exposure as Formula 1 in racing games. That will change this year with the launch of Motorsport Games’ new officially licensed IndyCar game.

No gameplay has been shown yet, but work-in-progress screenshots have shown off highly detailed recreations of a Dallara chassis so we can expect high levels of visual fidelity.

The only downside is that Motorsport Games holds exclusive rights to the Indycar license, meaning the virtual iRacing Indy 500 won’t go ahead this year. Shame.

CarX Street

Release date: TBA 2023
Platforms: PC

We’ve been closely following CarX Street since its initial announcement. While the iOS and Android version is out now in open beta, the highly-anticipated PC version has been delayed multiple times.

It was originally slated for a November 2021 release before being delayed until September 2022. After being delayed again until 15 December 2022, CarX Street has slipped into 2023 with no firm release date.

With a vast open world, a large roster of cars, and in-depth tuning, it should be worth the wait, giving street racing game fans an alternative to Need for Speed Unbound.

NASCAR 23

Release date: Mid-2023
Platforms: TBA

After the NASCAR 21 Ignition's disastrous launch, Motorsport Games wisely decided to cancel NASCAR 22. Instead, NASCAR 21 Ignition received a 2022 Season expansion, giving the developer more time to work on NASCAR 23.

Using tech from KartKraft and rFactor 2, NASCAR 23 should be a significant improvement over Ignition when it arrives in mid-2023. Hopefully, its career mode will be more comprehensive than Ignition's barebones campaign.

TBA

WRC 23

Release date: Spring 2023 (rumoured)
Platforms: TBA

A new era for rally games is about to begin with Codemasters and EA taking over the WRC license from KT Racing. WRC Generations is still fresh in our minds having launched a few months ago, but WRC 23 could be just around the corner.

WRC games typically release towards the end of the year between September and November. But a recent rumour claims we’ll be playing WRC 23 several months before F1 23 in the spring.

As the official game of the 2023 World Rally Championship, WRC 23 will feature all the teams, drivers, and locations of the real-world WRC including the new versions of the hybrid Rally1 cars that debuted in WRC Generations.

If rumours are true, the WRC games have an exciting future. WRC 23 will reportedly let you build your own rally car from scratch, from choosing the drivetrain to installing engines, gearboxes, and transmissions.

Considering Codemasters popularised console rally games with the Colin McRae series, the WRC games are in safe hands.

F1 23

Platforms: TBA
Release date: Summer 2023

The first game in the series published by EA, F1 22 proved to be divisive thanks to its superfluous supercars and F1 Life mode.

F1 23 is rumoured to expand on F1 Life with a new feature called F1 World. A much-needed graphics engine upgrade is also rumoured.

As for new tracks, the Losail International Circuit in Qatar and the new Las Vegas Street Circuit in America join the race calendar this year. As it’s a brand-new circuit, Las Vegas may be added post-launch, but the Miami street circuit was included in F1 22 on day one so there’s still hope.

Last seen in F1 2021, Codemasters has confirmed the Braking Point story mode will return, so this will likely be F1 23’s main new headline feature. Going on past games, F1 23 should arrive this summer in late June or early July.

F1 Manager 2023

Release date: August 2022 TBA
Platforms: TBA

Frontier Developments’ F1 Manager 2022 was a strong debut, ushering in a new era of official Formula 1 Management games. F1 Manager 2023 will build on these foundations to bring an even better experience.

We can expect all the teams, drivers, and cars from the 2023 championship to feature. Every track on the 2022 calendar was meticulously recreated in F1 Manager 2022 from satellite data, so the new Las Vegas street circuit should appear in the sequel.

One likely new feature regularly requested by the community is custom teams. This could mean we'll be able to create and manage our own fictional teams in F1 Manager 2023 as well as the ten official teams.

MotoGP 23

Release date: April 2023 TBA
Platforms: TBA

MotoGP 22 was the best game in the series in years thanks to its generous helping of historic content and new tutorials making the game more accessible for newcomers.

These features will likely return in MotoGP 23 along with new tracks based in Kazakhstan and India that are joining the real-life race calendar. 

One of the best new additions in MotoGP 22 was the Nine Season mode allowing you to relive the historic 2009 season. We’re hoping MotoGP 23 will recreate another classic season in a similar game mode.

SBK 23

Release date: TBA 2023
Platforms: TBA

SBK 22 marked the first officially licensed SBK game in over a decade. Although it was a solid bike motorcycle simulation, it felt like MotoGP 22 with less content.

If SBK becomes an annual series and returns this year, let’s hope this year’s game offers a more substantial package with historic content and support classes like the MotoGP series.

Post-release updates

With more racing games adopting live service models, we can also expect major updates for some of last year’s biggest racing games.

Gran Turismo 7

Gran Turismo 7’s monthly updates are set to continue in 2023, bringing new cars, campaign events, and gameplay improvements. These updates have added at least three cars each month, but this year we’d like to see more classic tracks like Midfield Raceway, Autumn Ring, and return.

PSVR 2 also launches in February, so there’s a good chance GT7 will offer PSVR support to showcase Sony’s new VR headset – especially as no PSVR 2 racing games have been announced yet at the time of writing.

Gran Turismo is also getting a movie adaptation in August. Directed by District 9's Neill Blomkamp and starring Archie Madekwe, David Harbour, and Orlando Bloom, the Gran Turismo movie tells the story of a young gamer who becomes a real-life racing driver after winning an esports competition.

The plot mirrors Jann Mardenborough’s journey of racing at Le Mans after winning the 2011 GT Academy. With filming wrapped up, we should get a trailer early this year.

Need for Speed Unbound

Despite slow sales and a lack of a season pass, EA has big plans for Need for Speed Unbound this year.

Post-launch updates are starting early this year, starting with a free update that will expand online social features.

Additional updates will also bring new modes, cars, customisation parts, and more.

Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5 is over a year old now, but Playground Games will continue supporting the open-world racer this year. The new FORDzathon Series starts in January with a focus on Ford cars, and we expect these monthly updates to continue bringing new reward cars and challenges throughout 2023.

Forza Horizon 5 will also get a second expansion following last year’s Hot Wheels Expansion. It’s not known what the theme is yet, but Playground Games confirmed the Forza Horizon 5 Expansion 2 is coming in early 2023. We’ll likely find out more in January’s Forza Monthly show later this month.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

As much as we would love to see Mario Kart 9 in 2023, Nintendo is still focusing on expanding Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This makes sense from a business perspective as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continues to be a best-seller despite its age.

Last year, Nintendo launched the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass. Split into six waves containing eight tracks each, the expansion is adding 48 tracks from classic Mario Kart games until the end of 2023.

Three waves have been released so far, leaving three remaining in 2023. Each wave is usually released every four-five months. Wave 3 launched in December 2022, so Wave 4 will likely be released in March or April.