5 best racing games on PC in 2020

Racing games have always been a mainstay of gaming. The genre has had a great run on consoles, with the general idea being that a controller is best suited for racing games.

However, over the years, PCs evolved and now come equipped with controller support, allowing racing games to make their mark in the PC market. Racing and motorsports lend themselves more to a gaming experience, perhaps even more so than conventional sports.

There are several sub-genres within racing games as well; the two broad categories being Arcade-style racing and Simulation-style racing.

The difference is Arcade racers tend to not focus on realistic driving mechanics, opting for a more accessible game. Meanwhile, Simulation-style games aim to deliver the most realistic experience: from driving physics to elements such as tyre temps, grip, etc.

Here are some of the best racing games you can play in 2020 on your PC.

5 best racing games to play on your PC in 2020

5) Assetto Corsa Competizione

Assetto Corsa seemingly burst onto the scene out of nowhere to become one of the most popular racing games of 2020. The game has a large variety of real-life tracks such as the iconic Nurburgring, and the accurate recreation of these tracks are second to none.

The game feels relatively okay when playing with a keyboard but a controller is always recommended. The simulation mechanics feel great and pose just enough of a challenge for even new-comers.

The game isn't tough right out of the gate as players can tweak the difficulty levels by adjusting the level of assists they require. Over time, players will be able to drive without any assists and be well on their way to set record lap times.

Assetto Corsa is one of the best racing sims on the market today and is available for download on Steam.

4) Need for Speed: Heat

It has been a while since the Need for Speed franchise has been able to generate a lot of buzz in the arcade game market. However, Heat is possibly one of the best entries in the NFS franchise since the days of Most Wanted.

Need for Speed: Heat is essentially two different games packed into one amazing package. The daytime is for perfectly legal races where players earn Cash to upgrade their vehicles and such. However, come night time, players get to truly let loose and gain street cred.

After the somewhat disappointing Need for Speed Payback, EA needed to go back to its roots as a light-hearted arcade racer rather than try and be a movie. Heat does not suffer from an identity crisis and is simply just a fun arcade racing game packed with all sorts of rubber-burning goodness.

3) iRacing

iRacing is the very pinnacle of simulation racing in the motor-racing world and is, for many, the gateway into esports. The game has opened the doors for players to become professional sim racers.

There are only a handful of games that can match iRacing when it comes to recreating the true essence of motorsports and all the intensity that comes with it. The player and the car need to be in complete sync in order to achieve a good position in the game.

While iRacing obviously has a steep learning curve, and one that might scare away potential players at first, the game is extremely rewarding once players cross that stage.

It simply doesn't get more authentic than iRacing, and who knows, you might even end up having a career in sim racing.

2) Project CARS 3

Project CARS is simply a fun arcade racing franchise, and while sim enthusiasts will frown upon games that drop all pretence of realism, the game is ultimately more accessible to a larger audience.

The game is packed to the brim with the most popular cars in modern racing, and its technical brilliance is simply unmatched. With the right kind of hardware, there are hardly any other games that look and feel as great as Project CARS 3.

There is simply way too much detail put into the game, and players might just end up gawking at the technical mastery on display. While it obviously won't appeal to everyone, this game would be the perfect fit for players looking to simply tear down circuits in a flashy Lamborghini.

1) F1 2020

The F1 franchise from Codemasters has had its fair share of hits and misses but it has been improving with each iteration and is constantly trying to stay up to date with the current trends, regulations and abilities of the real-life sport.

F1 2020 is truly the best game in the series and the most fun racing experience one can have in 2020. While it isn't an arcade racing game, it is still accessible to new racing game fans as they can adjust the difficulty settings and assists to suit their abilities.

F1 2020's biggest winner comes in the form of the MyTeam mode where players essentially get to own and customize their very own F1 team - from designing the team's livery to uniforms and hiring drivers from the Drivers Market.