Best Of
10 Best Open-World Racing Games
Compare ten open-world racing games for street racing, festivals and free driving, including Forza Horizon 6, Motorfest and BeamNG.drive.
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Open-world racing is about more than the next finish line. A good map makes the trip to an event enjoyable, whether you’re exploring coastal roads, learning a city’s corners, or seeing how badly a car survives an ill-advised shortcut. These ten games offer different versions of that freedom, from competitive festivals to physics sandboxes. Not every choice has the same campaign structure or online requirements, and some older releases remain appealing for reasons newer games don’t replace. The descriptions explain those trade-offs, keeping the focus on driving and discovery rather than pretending there is one perfect fit for everyone.
For another direction, our Best Racing Games on PC guide offers a useful comparison.
10. Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
Solar Crown places its competition in a recreation of Hong Kong Island, where collecting cars and choosing how to represent yourself are part of the appeal. It is an online-focused choice, so server access and the current state of the service deserve attention before buying. Pick it if the social-car-club atmosphere interests you as much as individual races. It is not the safest recommendation for someone who wants a self-contained offline campaign, but its setting gives it a distinct identity within this list.
Official game promotional video — PlayStation. Watch on YouTube.
9. CarX Street
CarX Street builds its appeal around a city that invites you to keep driving after the immediate objective is finished. Tuning, upgrading, and choosing how to approach different races give the cars a role beyond looking good in a garage. The PC and mobile releases are separate versions, so compare the listing for the platform you intend to use rather than assuming their features are identical. Choose it for street racing and the process of developing a car, particularly if experimenting with handling is part of the fun.
Official game promotional video — PlayStation. Watch on YouTube.
8. The Crew 2
The Crew 2 turns a condensed version of the United States into a playground for several motorsport disciplines. Cars share the broader experience with boats and aircraft, making it a useful choice if your ideal road trip occasionally leaves the road entirely. Its original online structure and later access options mean you should check the current platform listing for available modes. Pick it for the variety of the journey, rather than expecting every discipline to behave like a dedicated simulator. The scale is playful instead of geographically exact.
Official game promotional video — Ubisoft. Watch on YouTube.
7. Burnout Paradise Remastered
Burnout Paradise Remastered gives you a city where a promising junction can become the start of a race and a parked billboard can look like a challenge. Its destructive arcade approach makes traffic, shortcuts, and spectacular mistakes part of the pleasure. You are not managing a detailed motorsport career or following an elaborate plot; the city itself supplies much of the personality. Choose it for immediate speed and a less formal sense of exploration. It is an older design, but that directness is precisely why it remains worth considering.
Official game promotional video — Nintendo UK. Watch on YouTube.
6. Need for Speed Heat
Palm City has two different rhythms in Need for Speed Heat. Daytime events help build your resources, while nighttime racing raises the stakes through police attention and the risk of losing progress from a run. That contrast gives you a reason to consider when to push on and when to head back. The story provides a street-racing frame without needing a detailed explanation here. Pick it for a straightforward cycle of building a car, testing it, and deciding whether the next chase is worth the trouble.
Official game promotional video — PlayStation. Watch on YouTube.
5. BeamNG.drive
BeamNG.drive is the outlier here: a vehicle-physics sandbox rather than a traditional open-world racing campaign. Its maps, scenarios, and detailed damage simulation make it appealing for players who want to understand what a vehicle does under pressure. A quiet exploration session can turn into a test of suspension, traction, or just how optimistic a jump really was. Choose it for experimentation and self-directed driving. If you need a constant ladder of championships and story objectives, another entry offers a clearer structure.
Official game promotional video — PlayStation. Watch on YouTube.
4. Need for Speed Unbound
Unbound takes its street-racing campaign to Lakeshore, with stylized effects and a visual identity that deliberately stands apart from more photographic racers. Building a competitive garage, managing risk, and preparing for larger events give your driving a direction. Its multiplayer side is a separate consideration from the solo story, so check which mode’s progression and features interest you. Pick it for city racing with a strong sense of style, especially if you want customization to be visible both in the garage and out on the road.
Official game promotional video — PlayStation. Watch on YouTube.
3. The Crew Motorfest
Motorfest builds its driving holiday around themed playlists, giving different cars and motorsport ideas their own spotlight. The Hawaiian setting helps make cruising between events part of the attraction rather than an empty commute. This is a live-service game, so an internet connection and changing content are important parts of the package. Choose it if you like a guided festival atmosphere but want more variety than a single type of racing. Compare the current map and edition details before buying, since the game has expanded since launch.
Official game promotional video — Ubisoft. Watch on YouTube.
2. Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon 5 turns Mexico into a generous driving playground, combining roads, dirt routes, festival events, and a large collection of cars. It remains worth considering alongside its successor, particularly if the setting and established event library appeal to you. The campaign’s loose structure gives you room to follow the activities you enjoy instead of mastering one strict discipline. Pick it for an approachable mix of exploration and racing, with assists that let you adjust the challenge. Check each platform’s listing rather than assuming every edition includes the expansions.
Official game promotional video — XBOX. Watch on YouTube.
1. Forza Horizon 6
Forza Horizon 6 moves the festival to Japan, offering a different landscape and car-culture backdrop for the series’ broad mix of driving activities. It is the first candidate to assess if you want the newer Horizon experience rather than returning to Mexico. The appeal is still the freedom to alternate between events, collecting, and simply finding an enjoyable road. Platform release timing differs, so verify your system’s current availability before buying. Choose it for a wide-ranging driving holiday rather than a strict simulation of professional motorsport.
Official game promotional video — Forza. Watch on YouTube.
Which Should You Play First?
Forza Horizon 6 and Motorfest offer the broadest festival-style starting points, while Heat and Unbound put street racing more firmly at the center. Burnout Paradise suits a quick arcade session, and BeamNG.drive is the choice for experimenting without needing a scripted career. Online requirements vary considerably across this list, so check those before choosing a game for offline travel or an unreliable connection.
For more options, see Best Racing Games on PlayStation 5 in 2026.
