5 Best Olympic Sports Video Games of All Time, Ranked

It’s no secret that the Olympics are a tough nut to crack. It takes years of training and perfecting your craft, so you can compete with some of the best athletes worldwide. Whether it’s ice hockey, skating, swimming, cricket, and more, the competition is always stiff in the world’s leading international sporting event. While we’re still a ways off from the next Olympic Games in the summer of 2024, you’re free to practice via the multiple Olympic sports video games available today on several platforms. These games go way back to 1983, when the first Olympic sports video game, officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee (ICO), came out. 

Now, there are plenty of options to choose from, which begs the question of which ones are worth checking out. From fun party games to more serious real-life simulations, here are the five best Olympic sports video games of all time, ranked. 

5. Vancouver 2010

A big slice of the Olympic sports video gaming pie is officially licensed video games simulating the real-life Olympic Games sport event. These events often attract over 200 sports teams from several sovereign states and territories. Unfortunately, not everyone can make it to the various cities where the games are hosted. So, Olympic sports video games are released to allow gamers worldwide to enjoy these events from the comfort of their homes.

An Olympics video game that wildly captivated fans are the Vancouver 2010 entry, which featured the 2010 Winter Olympics hosted in Vancouver. Unlike the Nagano Winter Olympics video game in 1998, Vancouver 2010 is more visually pleasing and plays much smoother. It also includes more than enough variety in sports and challenge modes. 

Among the sports events you compete in are skating, sledge hockey, short-track speed skating, Snowboarding, bobsleigh, and more. In total, there are 14 sports, way morethan were present at the traditional Olympic events. In the challenges, players can advance their skills across 30 different challenges, like landing jumps spread across multiple events. Additionally, you’ll have access to 24 nations, all of which contributes to replayability and consequent popularity among players worldwide.

4. Steep: Road to the Olympics DLC

That’s right, the DLC Steep: Road to the Olympics is so good, it makes it to the top five best Olympic sports video games of all time, ranked. Of course, the base, full game, Steep, has plenty to do with how good its DLC is. Set in the Alps, players have access to an open-world stage to check out several winter sports, including skiing, snowboarding, paragliding, wingsuit flying, and more. 

Steep is exclusively all about snowy terrain and taking to the skies. So, players who love to come out to party when it’s snowing, bring their friends along, and show off their wildest stunts, will have the best time here. But, if you’d like an even better gaming experience, you’ll want to check out the Steep: Road to the Olympics DLC. This adds more winter sports competitions to the base game, like sledding, basejumping, speed riding, and more. It also elevates already existing experiences like adding a rocket-powered suit to wingsuit flying and new mountain ranges.

Although Steep: Road to the Olympics DLC isn’t an officially licensed Olympics video game, it’s packed with pretty exhilarating content you won’t have any issues checking out. Plus, it’s available across several platforms on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

3. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is a fun twist on a rather serious genre. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is perfect if all you want is to have a laugh with friends in an Olympic setting. While there are several Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games entries, like the Tokyo 2020 Games, the Rio 2016 Games, the London 2012, and more, it’s hard to pin-point a specific Mario spin-off that takes the trophy home.

Let’s just say, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games are perfectly light-hearted to fit well during game night. These games feature plenty of disciplines, challenges, and 24 Olympic sports events like boxing, and more. It also migrates fan-favorite Nintendo and Sega characters to the games, making it the ultimate party game. With the next-level multiplayer competitiveness Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games offers, this game might just be your next go-to favorite for when you’d like to play by the rules and guidelines of the real-life Olympics.

2. Beijing 2008

Beijing 2008 is worth checking out, too, for its variety, featuring 32 nations and 38 Olympic sports events. The variety alone towers Beijing 2008 above the rest since it makes for a busy afternoon spent coursing through the game without getting bored.

As the official video game for the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, it features a real-life simulation of all the sports events that took place that year, like skeet shooting, high jumping, the 100m race, table tennis, and more. 

It also takes it a step further to include “Career Mode,” which allows you to plan and manage the athletes. Plus, an “Online Mode,” marked the first of many multiplayer iterations to come.

1. Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

Perhaps by default of being the latest official Olympic video game, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 takes the top spot among the five best Olympic sports video games of all time ranked. It undeniably supersedes the rest in terms of graphics and gameplay. 

While the graphics are more vibrant than ever before, the game elevates the gaming experience by giving you a sense of realism in the time of day setting and more room to customize just about every customizable item on an athlete.

Olympic fans can enjoy more online features across a total of 18 arcade-style sports events, some of which include the 100m race, rugby sevens, boxing, beach volleyball, rock climbing, and so much more. By far and large, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 stands out as the most polished Olympic sports video game yet. 

So, what’s your take? Do you agree with our five best Olympic sports video games of all time? Are there more games we should know about? Let us know down in the comments or over on our socials here.