The Xbox Game Pass is increasingly great value. Microsoft keep adding more games and even top titles like Forza Horizon 5 are getting day one releases to subscribers. But out of the big range of racing games available, which are worth your time?
Forza Horizon 4
Even with Forza Horizon 5 just around the corner, this open-world racer is still a great experience. Drive over 700 cars across Great Britain and compete in a range of different events. There's something here for everyone, from more serious circuit racing to just doing daft stunts in freeroam. The balance is tipped in favour of fun rather than realism with the physics, so if you're a simulation die-hard this may be a little amateur for your liking.
With weekly challenges and hourly multiplayer Forzathon events as well as a rich array of multiplayer modes, this is my top pick for Game Pass racing gaming.
Art of Rally
This stylish retro rally has a beautiful aesthetic and a lovely sense of humour about it. The minimalist art style hides a hidden depth as the handling does take some effort to master. It's a love letter to the rally legends of the '60s to '80s and the whole experience has a sort of effortless charm to it.
If you're one for nostalgia, both in terms of motorsport and gaming, this game will be right up your alley.
F1 2020
Okay, so we're a year behind the latest release and so you won't have all the latest and greatest features of F1 2021 such as the Braking Point story mode. That said, some players actually prefer the handling of the cars in the 2020 edition of the official Formula One game. What's more, the classic cars have been removed from the latest version, so there are definitely reasons to still play last year's game.
F1 2020 is a part of EA Play so it's available to those with Game Pass Ultimate. If you're an F1 fan and you're not ready to pay for the 2021 edition, this is your game.
Dirt Rally 2.0
While Dirt 5 plays like a toddler on Red Bull, Dirt Rally 2.0 is more like Sebastien Loeb sipping an espresso. This game punishes mistakes but rewards perfection in a way that is extremely satisfying. It looks fantastic and presents a real challenge to players.
We wish Codemasters hadn't locked so much of the content as DLC but we'd still recommend giving this one a go.
Wreckfest
You can probably guess from the title that Wreckfest isn't the most serious game on this list. If racing games are a way to relieve stress for you, this might well do the trick! Behind the daft destruction though lurks a pretty good racer with plenty of replay value.
We did experience a few technical issues with this game on the Xbox so be aware that it's not the most polished product.
Forza Motorsport 7
Although it's being delisted soon, there's still some time to play Forza Motorsport 7. If you haven't yet played this one, it's the more serious cousin to the Horizon series. It has a vast list of cars and all of the world's greatest circuits but some of the options can be a bit confusing on first play.
If you want to keep playing Forza Motorsport 7, it's also on sale until it reaches End of Life next month.