The Best Racing Games On PlayStation Plus Extra & Premium (May 2023)

In June 2022, Sony launched its new PlayStation Plus model, one that combines the previous iteration with PS Now. The subscription service is divided into three tiers: Essential, Extra, and Premium. If someone opts for PS Plus Extra, they are granted access to hundreds of PS5 and PS4 titles, all of which can be downloaded and installed on the user’s console. In addition to those games, PS Plus Premium members have a plethora of titles from older PlayStation generations at their disposal.

This massive collection covers almost every type of game imaginable, but it can be challenging to pinpoint the standout titles on PlayStation Plus. Due to the service containing roughly 700 titles, nearly every genre has a few dozen projects of varying quality. Consequently, here are the best PS Plus racing games to get fans of the genre started.

Ridge Racer 2

Up until the PS3 era, Ridge Racer was a staple of Sony’s PlayStation launch lineups. The franchise’s games often acted as showcases of a console’s hardware, all the while being very good arcade racers in their own right. The PSP kept up this trend with Ridge Racer, which is still among the highest-rated games on the console. The 2006 sequel is not quite as decorated, but that primarily comes down to a lack of notable additions and improvements rather than a decline in quality.

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That’s not to say Ridge Racer 2 has nothing new to offer, just that the additions come in the form of tracks rather than mechanics. Consequently, this release can feel like a glorified expansion rather than a proper sequel. As valid as these criticisms are, they are not that relevant in this day and age, particularly for PS Plus Premium subscribers. If only one of these two titles could be added to the service, the 2006 entry was the right game to highlight.

Assetto Corsa Competizione

Like most other categories, racing games cannot be pigeonholed into one bracket. PS Plus is filled with racers that are so far removed from each other that they barely seem like they belong to the same genre. Assetto Corsa Competizione is a hard-as-nails racing sim revolving around the Blancpain GT Series.

Realism is the name of the game here, and Assetto Corsa Competizione comes as close as any of its contemporaries to capturing the feel of being behind the wheel. Unsurprisingly, this results in a package that is not friendly to beginners, especially those who wish to jump straight into offline or online races. However, if someone puts in the time to master the game’s mechanics, they will find perhaps the best racing sim on PS Plus.

Hotshot Racing

A throwback to classic arcade racers like Virtua Racing and Daytona USA, Hotshot Racing wears its inspiration proudly on its hood. Utilizing a vibrant, blocky art style that just screams ’90s arcades, this charming racer features eight drivers and more than 30 unlicensed vehicles that pay (obvious) homage to recognizable cars.

In terms of its actual racing mechanics, Hotshot Racing drives like a dream. The cars are responsive and weighty, and their stats do impact the way they control. Similar to its inspirations, Hotshot Racing is not particularly overflowing with content, and players can experience almost everything the game has to offer within a few hours.

Wipeout Omega Collection

Wipeout Omega Collection contains remasters of the PS3’s Wipeout HD and the PS Vita’s Wipeout 2048, both of which are great futuristic racers. Over the last decade, Studio Liverpool’s franchise has been mainly dormant, and that does not appear set to change soon. In the meantime, PS Plus Premium subscribers can at least visit two of the license’s highest points.

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Offering a stylish presentation and challenging gameplay, Wipeout Omega Collection is the perfect game to throw on for a few quick races. Although it has an arcade feel, the package is not lacking in content either.

Riders Republic

PS Plus’ April 2023 lineup included one project that racing fans should check out, although it moves at a different speed than the vehicle-based releases typically associated with the genre. Ubisoft’s Riders Republic is an extreme sports game revolving set in a beautiful and diverse open-world. An online-focused experience, the title launched with a few extreme sports for players to specialize in, and Ubisoft has continued to add activities post-launch. Be it snowboarding, bikes, or wingsuits, the sports control fairly differently from each other, which extends the game’s replayability.

Riders Republic did not get too much attention at launch, and it has faded from the public’s consciousness over the last year. Nevertheless, the game’s fundamentals are strong, and they are backed by a good range of content.

Jak X: Combat Racing

Naughty Dog’s Jak X: Combat Racing tends to be overshadowed by the studio’s other kart racer, which is a shame as the PS2 title is nearly as great as Crash Team Racing. Along with exhibition and multiplayer modes, Jak X has a single-player campaign that casts players as the franchise’s heroes in a competition consisting of four cups.

While a kart racer, Jak X places a heavier emphasis on vehicular combat than most of the sub-genre’s representatives, and Naughty Dog even goes as far as to give health bars to cars. The adventure mode is a blast and consistently rewards players with new unlockables.

Kinetica

Overshadowed by Santa Monica’s subsequent Kratos-themed releases, Kinetica has been reduced to a footnote in PlayStation’s history. While not groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, this futuristic racer deserves to be remembered more in this day and age, especially since PS Plus Premium subscribers can play the PS4 re-release whenever they feel like a quick and fun race.

Kinetica has a great soundtrack, creative tracks, and decent controls. In terms of content, there is not much here outside a bare-bones season mode divided into stages consisting of four tracks each; however, Kinetica is perfect as a palette cleanser between meatier games.

Trackmania Turbo

Trackmania believes in making every second count. Debuting in 2003, the franchise has produced its share of great titles, and Trackmania Turbo is among the most accessible and enjoyable. For the uninitiated, the game consists of short and imaginative tracks that are essentially puzzles. The fun comes from figuring out and mastering a track’s nuances to pull off an unbeatable time, and this process is satisfying.

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Split into four vehicle types and locations, Trackmania Turbo‘s single-player campaign consists of more than 100 events. While some vehicles are more enjoyable than others, the game seldom misses a beat.

Descenders

Sometimes, a race’s challenge comes from its terrain and not other racers. Descenders lives by this motto as it tasks players with cycling down a mountain path en route to a spectacular jump. Although the campaign can be completed fairly quickly, Descenders is a roguelite as its tracks are procedurally generated, meaning some variety is always present. As tends to be the case with the genre, players have a life bar that decreases following a sustained bump; once all the HP is depleted, it is back to square one.

Descenders is an acquired taste, but the game helps fill PS Plus Extra’s extreme sports quota. The game’s controls are solid, and the same can be said for its visuals. If someone is looking for a racing game they can play in between meatier titles, RageSquid’s project is a good pick.

Trials Rising

Ubisoft’s Trials series has been going on for a while, and the 2019 entry is among the franchise’s best. Trials Rising challenges players to complete absurd courses filled with physics-defying stunts. While the game loves to inject a dash of silliness into proceedings, its wacky presentation is combined with precise and satisfying gameplay that comes with a reasonably steep learning curve.

Trials Rising is a creative racer that goes out of its way to surprise players. Newcomers to the franchise might initially struggle to come to grips with the game’s controls, but when things finally click, RedLynx’s title starts to shine.

Anarchy: Rush Hour

Anarchy: Rush Hour epitomizes the late-2000s and early-2010s racing scene. Cobbling together ideas from the genre’s most popular properties of the time, such as Need for Speed and Burnout, this forgotten title very much comes across as the dime store version of these high-profile licenses; however, it is oddly endearing in a low-budget kind of way. Anarchy: Rush Hour takes place in an open city and throws in several event types that were typical for arcade racers at the time.

Visually, the game was not impressive for 2010 and time has done it no favors, but the graphics are not so terrible that they get in the way of the gameplay. That’s not to say the racing mechanics are fantastic, just that Anarchy is competent in this area. For all its flaws and rough edges, this racing game is fun and also comes with a bit of a learning curve.

Cars 2: The Video Game

Considering the terrible reputation of licensed products, anyone would be forgiven for ignoring Cars 2: The Video Game. Disney and Pixar’s movies have spawned their share of video game adaptations, and it tends to be a coin flip whether the ensuing project will be surprisingly good or among the worst titles on a console. While not a masterpiece, Cars 2 falls squarely in the former category, which makes sense since Pixar’s franchise has a core premise that is fairly easy to translate into a game. Taking inspiration from the movie, the game largely tasks players with completing training events, a structure that serves as a way to unlock characters and courses.

Cars 2 is designed with multiplayer in mind since every mode supports this feature, and it is undoubtedly the ideal way to experience the content. Even though solo players might start to get bored before too long, they will still find that Cars 2 is a competent kart racer with rather great visuals. While not a reason to subscribe to PS Plus Premium, Avalanche’s game is good for a few hours of entertainment.

Split/Second

As can be said for several Black Rock Studio games, Split/Second is awesome and underrated. This arcade racer casts players as stunt drivers in a reality TV show, and the goal is to blow up everything while dashing toward the finish line. Unapologetically ludicrous, the game embraces its absurd premise with vigor and style.

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As fun as the over-the-top shenanigans are, Split/Second also does not ignore its fundamentals. At its core, this arcade racer plays very well.

Wreckfest

Games like Wreckfest rarely come around these days, but Bugbear’s title is so good that it can carry the vehicular combat genre on its shoulders. Regardless of the chosen mode, the goal here is to smash the competition while trying to minimize received damage. Wreckfest loves to unleash complete mayhem, and tracks often resemble trash heaps following most races.

Chaotic as things can get, Wreckfest has a relatively grounded presentation and control scheme. Players can also determine how realistic they want the gameplay to be.

The Crew 2

The Crew 2 is an always online open-world racing game, a descriptor that could discourage people from trying the title since it is almost half a decade old by this point. Despite featuring a world intended to be populated by players, The Crew 2 is stuffed with single-player content. The game also has quite a bit of variety as its options are split across four disciplines. Unlike The Crew, which is also on PS Plus, the sequel is less focused on creating a cross-country road trip experience, opting instead to play out like a fairly conventional open-world racing title. The Crew 2 is arguably the closest thing to Forza Horizon on PS Plus.

Although enjoyable, The Crew 2 does adhere to Ubisoft’s “more is more” mantra. Based on the United States, the map is impressively huge but not always that fun to explore. Grinding is also a cornerstone of the gameplay loop, and players will need to dedicate a decent chunk of time to unlock a respectable range of vehicles.

MotorStorm: Apocalypse

From 2006 to 2012, Sony published five Motorstorm games, seemingly setting the license up to be a PlayStation cornerstone moving forward. Then, the franchise just died. Though never reaching the heights of Need for Speed or Forza, Motorstorm is relatively consistent, with each game building on the one that came before it.

Motorstorm: Apocalypse drops players in a world that is falling apart around them, setting races amidst decrepit and crumbling buildings. Even if it is not the most precise or complex racing game on PS Plus, Apocalypse is quite the spectacle.

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