N1 is first example of a first person racing game and included basic simulation features such as gear changes.

Released only on an Arcade platform in selected parts of Europe, sightings were rare, but the title was seen by Atari’s Dave Shepperd after the German IMA show in Spring 1976 and was then cloned as Atari’s Night Driver for Arcade and Atari 2600 systems.

ND is the first home release racing title that attempted a 3D perspective environment, but wasn’t the first home release to offer a first person perspective.

Initially released in Arcades and likely based on Dr Reiner Foerst’s Arcade-only Nurburgring title, the home release for the Atari 2600 featured a ‘chase cam’ perspective and did not add a cockpit view or manual gear changes until the Commodore 64 port in 1982, one year after those features debuted in Commodore’s Road Race.

RR is a clone of Atari’s Night Driver or Dr Reiner Foerst’s Nurburgring, but was the first home simulator to include both an attempt at a 3D cockpit view and simulation of basic features like changing gears. Those features were added to the Commodore C-64 home release of Night Driver a year later.

Revs is a 1984 simulation of Formula Three. It allows the player to drive an F3 car and offered up to five tracks.

The first title to feature NASCAR drivers, RPT featured similar gameplay to Pole Position and Pitstop, but was an ultimately inferior experience.

SR is the Atari 8-bit conversion of Lombard RAC Rally and is noted for it’s extremely poor visuals compared to the original source. This title was announced for Atari ST but never released on that platform under this name, though Lombard RAC Rally was.

Converted for the Atari 8-bit platform under the name Speed Run.

Indy 500 is a simulation of the 1989 Indianapolis 500 and includes the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a selection of three Indy cars.

Arcade bike racing title that allowed players to use violence to slow opponents. Ported to and programmed for DOS by Papyrus in 1995.

F1GP is a simulation of the 1991 Formula One World Championship. It includes the 16 tracks from the season and allows the player to select from 18 teams.

No Second Prize by Thalion Software included progressive steering via mouse and a first-person viewpoint. It is generally considered to be the first motorcycle racing simulator.

ICR is a simulation of the 1993 IndyCar Series. It featured a selection of chassis and engines, eight tracks, and had official addons with eight more tracks.

NQRACR was based on the final round of the 1993 Network Q RAC Rally, with the limited physics based on a Fiesta RS Turbo.

The IndyCar Circuits expansion pack was an official addon for IndyCar Racing (1993) that updated the software to the latest version, added Replay Cut and Settings Print utilities, along with seven real-world racing tracks.

The pack added Burke Lakefront Airport, Phoenix, Surfers Paradise, Belle Isle, Road America, Mid-Ohio and Pacific Place (Vancouver).

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway expansion pack was an official addon for IndyCar Racing (1993) that updated the software to the latest version, added RaceCar Paint Kit, Replay Cut and Settings Print utilities, along with Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

N1 is a simulation of the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup. It featured a selection of chassis and engines, nine tracks, and had an official addon with seven more.

The NASCAR Track Pack was an official addon for NASCAR Racing (1994) that added seven real-world racing tracks.

The pack added Charlotte, Dover, Pocono, Rockingham, Richmond, Sears Point and North Wilkesboro.

ICR2 is a simulation of the 1995 IndyCar Series. It featured 15 tracks and a selection of chassis and engines.

Re-released as CART Racing.

GP2 is a simulation of the 1994 Formula One World Championship. It includes the 16 tracks from the season and allows the player to select from 14 teams.

The Mac release of NASCAR Racing featured the 1996 season instead of the 1994 drivers and liveries of the original DOS release. The software ran inside a window within the OS, using similar options to those seen in the Windows release of IndyCar Racing II the same year.

The PlayStation release of NASCAR Racing featured the 1996 season instead of the 1994 drivers and liveries of the original DOS release.

Re-release of IndyCar Racing II, a simulation of the 1995 IndyCar Series. The re-brand was prompted by the IndyCar “split” that formed the Indy Racing League and CART championships. It featured 15 tracks and a selection of chassis and engines.

NASCAR Racing 2 is a 1996 racing video game by Papyrus Design Group based on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series of the same year, with a later addon for the 1997 Busch Grand National Series. It featured many drivers, Gen-4 chassis and tracks from both series.

Papyrus developed this title and released multiple NASCAR-based video games with incremental changes up until their transition to the “GPL engine” used in NASCAR Racing 4.

Running Today This software and the demos can be run using the SheepShaver PowerPC emulator with a virtual machine. Your VM should have Mac OS 9.0. You will most likely need to install Quicktime VR, and update Quicktime itself if you have an older version installed.

Official 1997 Busch Grand National Series addon for NASCAR Racing 2, featuring many drivers, teams and tracks from the Busch series.

Developed by Terminal Reality and published by Microsoft, CART Precision Racing is a 1997 racing simulator featuring the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) drivers and teams from the same year as well as all 17 tracks.

SODA is a simulation based on the Short Course Off-Road Drivers series, but did not contain any officially licensed cars or real-world tracks.

Arcade-only release to the Daytona USA franchise.

Re-released 2000 when Motorsims acquired Tantrum.

GPL is a simulation of the 1967 Formula One World Championship. It includes 11 tracks (10 from the real-life schedule) and allows the player to choose from seven period cars.

CMR is a simulation of the 1998 World Rally Championship and includes a selection of drivers, cars and countries from the schedule.

Similar to the F1 series Newman/Haas Racing was developed by Studio 33 under Psygnosis ownership. Not well received by critics, it did develop a following among IndyCar fans.

The first title from Papyrus to include all three major NASCAR series without the use of paid additions, NASCAR Racing 1999 Edition was unfortunately a graphically updated NASCAR Racing 2 underneath the surface. By the time of its release there were more advanced simulations coming on the market.

Originally announced to be the launch title for “GPL physics” in the Papyrus NASCAR titles, this eventually became NASCAR Racing 4.

NCTR was a standalone game based on NASCAR Racing 1999 Edition engine that simulated the 1998 season. However, only eight tracks were included. The product was not well received due to poor timing of the NASCAR Racing 3 and N3 Truck Add-on releases.

SCGT is a simulation of the 1999 United States Road Racing Championship. It includes a mixture of cars and tracks that were in the series that year, were planned for the future, or added for value once the USRRC folded mid-season.

N3 featured the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Grand National Division drivers, teams and tracks with the exception of Daytona and Pocono. However, Daytona was later made available via a Daytona 500 program giveaway at the 2000 Daytona 500.

A later add-on for N3 added the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and relevant content.

Originally announced to be released on PC and limited consoles. Never released.

NL is a simulation of the 1970 NASCAR Grand National Series. It featured a selection of period chassis and 16 period tracks.

GP 500 was a racing simulator released in 1999 by MicroProse for PC created by Melbourne House.

The game is a simulation of the 1998 FIM Road Racing World Championship GP 500 motorcycle circuit. It was notable for its advanced physics and realism developed in co-operation with motorcycle racer Kenny Roberts Jr.

SOS is a simulation of pre-war motor racing and included 15 vehicles and nine tracks selected from the period.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Expansion Pack was an official addon for NASCAR Racing 3 (1999) that added six real-world racing tracks and the 1999 NASCAR Truck and Truck Series schedule.

The pack added Evergreen, Heartland Park, I-70, Las Vegas, Louisville and Portland.

A night version of Texas was also included.

Announced in 1999, never released. Based on the same engine Bethesda used on their Drag Racing and Skip Barber title that also was canceled.

NASCAR Heat is a 2000 racing video game for the PlayStation, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Color. It was developed by Monster Games and published by Hasbro Interactive.

GP3 is a simulation of the 1998 or 2000 Formula One World Championships. It includes the 16/17 tracks from the seasons and allows the player to select from 11 teams.

Mercedes-Benz Truck Racing is a video game in the genre of realistic racing simulators, developed by the German company Synetic GmbH.

Originally announced for PC. Never released.

Coming months after the release of F1 2000, the F1 Championship Season 2000 update was an attempt by EA to cash-in twice on the Formula One license within the same year in the same way some other sports titles were. The developer used the opportunity to capture what had happened during the season and include […]

Running on Windows 10 Install the 1.09 patch then the SilentPatch. The SilentPatch fixes basically everything that was wrong with CMR2 on Windows 10. I have archived it here incase that site ever disappears.

RCS R is a simulation initially planned for console release that eventually only saw release in Japan for PC. It was released in at least two versions; The Real Car Simulator R: Nissan Edition and The Real Car Simulator R: Toyota Edition. Both versions include more road cars than race cars.

Designed as a training tool where racers would progress through a racing school and eventually graduate, emulating the real-world Skip Barber Racing School.

N4 is a groundbreaking simulation of the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup. It featured a selection of chassis and all tracks from the real-life schedule for the first time.

Historic rally simulation from Bugbear Entertainment, who went on to develop the FlatOut and Wreckfest titles.

RCS R Toyota Edition is a simulation initially planned for console release that eventually only saw release in Japan for PC. It was released in at least two versions; The Real Car Simulator R: Nissan Edition and The Real Car Simulator R: Toyota Edition. Both versions include more road cars than race cars.

Revolutionary sports car simulation planned for PC release and eventually used as the engine in Total Immersion Racing. Never released.

HPCR is a simulation of the Hooters Pro Cup (now known as the CARS Tour).

NR2002 is a simulation of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup. It featured a selection of chassis and all the tracks from the real-life schedule.

A demo version of NR2002 was released as a standalone “game” called Super Snack 500.

F12K2 is a simulation of the 2002 Formula One World Championship. It includes the 17 tracks from the season and allows the player to select from 11 teams.

GP4 is a simulation of the 2001 Formula One World Championship. It includes the 17 tracks from the season and allows the player to select from 11 teams.

RalliSport Challenge is a 2002 rally racing video game that included a career with up to 29 cars including the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 and the Suzuki Grand Vitara. Race types included Rally, Hill climb, Ice Racing, and Rallycross. A sequel was produced, but never released on PC.

SS500 is a demo version of NASCAR Racing 2002 Season that’s branded for Dale Earnhardt Jr’s sponsors.

NR2003 is a simulation of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup. It featured a selection of chassis and all tracks from the real-life schedule.

LFS is a racing simulation developed by a three man indie team and is considered to be one of the most realistic sims of all time despite it’s age.

IndyCar Series is a 2003 racing game based on the 2002 Indy Racing League and Indianapolis 500 developed by Brain in a Jar and Codemasters. It includes 24 regular series drivers and two from the Indy 500 that year.

IndyCar Series 2005 is a 2004 racing game based on the 2003 Indy Racing League and Indianapolis 500 developed by Brain in a Jar and Codemasters.

RBR is a high quality rally simulation featuring 8 rally cars and thirty-six courses.

GTR – FIA GT Racing Game is a sports car racing simulator developed by SimBin Studios for PC. It was the first release for the studio who formed from modders going pro. The game simulates the FIA GT Championship racing series. It uses Image Space Incorporated’s rFactor engine as a codebase.

rF is a simulation designed to simulate any type of four-wheeled vehicle of any era, supports modding directly, and features advanced 15 degrees of freedom physics, suspension, and tire modelling.

CRC includes on and off-road racing across vast open terrains where racers can contest over 60 races across six distinct environments ranging from icy mountainous regions and lush countryside to parched desert areas and beaches. Later released on Steam.

Originally announced to be released on PC and consoles. Never released.

GTR 2 – FIA GT Racing Game is a sports car racing simulator developed by Blimey! Games and SimBin Studios for PC and is a sequel to GTR. The game simulates the 2003 and 2004 FIA GT Championship racing series. It uses Image Space Incorporated’s rFactor engine as a codebase.

A free-to-play simulation from Blimey! Games (creators of GTR, GTR2, GT Legends and what went on to become Slightly Mad Studios), originally available directly from BMW.

It was brought about as an advertising venture by German automotive company Bayer Motoren Werke (BMW) and early SIMBIN/Blimey publisher 10tacle Studios, and is based on the isiMotor (rFactor) engine.

GTRE, STCC, RaceOn, FR, STCC2, GTPower, WTCC10, retro, Injection addons.

Developed by Indiana-based Sim Factory LLC, this standalone indie release showcased the Automobile Racing Club of America’s Remax stock car championship. It used Image Space Incorporated’s rFactor engine as a codebase.

iR is a subscription-based online service that allows sim racers to race a variation of cars and tracks from all around the world.

GTREvo was available as a standalone game that included Race 07 and as DLC for Race 07.

Volvo Car Corporation and SimBin Development Team released Volvo: The Game in May, 2009. It was completely free, and could be downloaded originally from the Volvo Web site. A fairly interesting marketing experience, the software was downloaded more than 50,000 times in two days.

It included the Volvo S60 Concept road car and Volvo S40, Volvo 850 Estate, Volvo 240, Volvo C30, Volvo S60 race cars. Just two circuits were included: Gothenburg Eco Drive Arena, Sweden and Autodrome Chayka, Ukraine.

SV8NC is a simulation of the Superstars Series.

Official screenshots:

RRE/R3E is a free-to-play racing simulator that allows sim racers to race a variation of cars and tracks from all around the world.

rF2 is a simulation designed to simulate any type of multi-wheeled vehicle of any era, supports modding directly, and features an advanced physics, suspension, and tire model.

NTG is a NASCAR simulation based on the 2012 season which used the Gen-5 Cup car. Gen-6 2013 Cup cars were made available as DLC.

Official screenshots:

Copa Petrobras de Marcas is a touring car series in Brazil that launched in 2011, showcasing manufactures such as Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Ford and Toyota. Petrobras, a large Brazilian oil company, commissioned Reiza to create Copa Petrobras de Marcas and offered it as a free download to fans of the series.

Copa Petrobras de Marcas uses the isiMotor (rFactor) engine.

MMO racing game with a massive open-world map of the United States.

Assetto Corsa is a sim racing video game developed by the Italian video game developer Kunos Simulazioni. It is designed with an emphasis on a realistic racing experience with support for extensive customization and moddability. The game was first released through the Steam Early Access program on 8 November 2013.

Originally released as Game Stock Car 2013, renamed in 2014 to Stock Car Extreme.

2016 season DLC available via free DLC. Official screenshots:

AMS simulates premium Brazilian racing series such as Stock Car V8, Copa Petrobras de Marcas, Formula 3 Brasil and Mitsubishi Lancer Cup, now packing every car and every track from their respective 2015 championships. It also ventures abroad, picking up various highly regarded European content such as Imola.

Kart Racing Pro is a realistic karting simulator based on a scratch built physics engine that accurately simulates kart dynamics and setup options.

PC2 is a racing game that includes a large number of cars, tracks and championship formats.

TTIOM is a simulation of the Isle of Man TT with the legendary 37.73-mile Snaefell Mountain course, bikes, and sidecars.

VR4 is a rally simulation featuring rally, rally cross, extreme-khana, off-road buggies and hillclimb.

DR2 is a racing video game developed and published by Codemasters featuring a mixture of Rally and Rallycross content from both historic and modern era.

The game may be considered the thirteenth title in the Colin McRae Rally series, and is the seventh title to carry the Dirt name. The publisher confusingly released DiRT Rally, DiRT 4 then Dirt Rally 2.0 all with a similar concept and content between 2015 and 2019.

ACC is a Blancpain GT, British GT and other SRO series simulator featuring GT3 and GT4 sports cars.

F1 2019 is based on the 2019 Formula One World Championship, and features content from the 2018 and 2019 Formula 2 Championship. The game is developed and published by Codemasters and is the twelfth title in the Formula One series developed by the studio.

Official simulation of the ETRC: race a giant 5-tonne, 1,000-horsepower truck against 12 competitors. Built on the Kylotonn game engine.

WRC is a leading off-road simulation franchise developed by Kylotonn. Their fifth rally title, WRC 8 includes new physics for all surfaces, a completely redesigned career mode, dynamic weather conditions, 50 teams, 14 countries and more than 100 special stages from the 2019 season. It is their first title to be released as an Epic Store exclusive for it’s first year and became available on Steam September 8, 2020.

Released as an Early Access Steam title in 2019 and developed by a one-man development team, MX Bikes is a realistic motocross simulator based on a scratch built physics engine that accurately simulates motorcycle dynamics and setup options.

KK is a karting simulator with a variety of kart classes and karting tracks from around the world.

AMS2 is a comprehensive simulation of the Brazilian motorsports scene, featuring all major Brazilian racing series, race tracks and manufacturers, as well as a selection of modern and classic content from around the world.

F1 2020 is based on the COVID-19 affected 2020 Formula One World Championship, and features all content from the F1 and F2 schedule that was originally planned as well as some historic content.

WRC is a leading off-road simulation franchise developed by Kylotonn. Their sixth rally title, it includes more realistic gameplay and more content than WRC 8, including three new rallies, 35 new special stages, custom championships and completely redesigned engine sounds. It is their second title to be released as an Epic Store exclusive.

TSAAR is an oval-centric simulation featuring multiple dirt oval cars and tracks.

This title doesn’t meet the minimum requirements to be considered a racing simulation, but that should not deter you from playing it. The reason we have chosen to include it on the site despite the lack of a cockpit view is because it’s a fantastic game with a lot to offer. You can also clearly […]

The motorcycle driving simulator that aims to reproduce the emotions of a trackday. Challenge your friends on TrackDayR and climb the leaderboards of players all over the world.

Official MotoGP title that features the bikes and tracks from the 2021 MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 seasons.

SRX is the accompanying software to the newly-formed Superstar Racing Experience series and uses the same software base as the previous Tony Stewart games.

Announced October, 2019 with the extension of the F1 license until 2025. Developed and published by Codemasters, it will be the fourteenth title in the Formula One series developed by the studio.

WRC is a leading off-road simulation franchise developed by Kylotonn. Announced on March 19, 2020, this will be their seventh rally title.

Announced with the acquisition of rFactor 2 and Studio 397, this title is expected to use the rFactor 2 physics as a base on all platforms.

First announced early 2017 for 2018 release, so far GTR 3 has been subject to a number of delays. Developed in partnership with Sector 3 Studios, GTR 3 does not currently have an official release date.

GL is a storyline-driven racing game in the GRID franchise due for release 2022.

Announced February, 2021 with the extension of the MotoGP license until 2026.

F1 22 is the fifteenth title in the Formula One series developed by Codemasters and is the first to include the vast changes to the regulations that year.

F1M 22 is a management (non-driving) simulation allowing the player to take ownership of managing all aspects of a 2022 F1 racing team.

Announced in an investors briefing.

Announced for Fall, 2022 release.

Announced in a series of then-deleted tweets by Ian Bell of SMS. Cancelled to years later.

Announced late July, 2020 for 2022 release this licensed British Touring Car Championship title was seen as the spiritual successor to Codemasters TOCA 2. Never released.

Open-world arcade racer set in the fictional Lakeshore City, based on Chicago.

Announced February, 2021 with the extension of the MotoGP license until 2026.

Announced October, 2019 with the extension of the F1 license until 2025. Developed and published by Codemasters, it will be the sixteenth title in the Formula One series developed by the studio.

Available as DLC for World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing and as a standalone product, World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing 2023 Edition (and Ultimate Edition) include updated content from the original game.

The fifth title in the RIDE franchise by Milestone.

Announced for Spring, 2023 release.

EA SPORTS first WRC title, developed by Codemasters and the DiRT Rally team.

Announced with the mention of a “24 Hours of Le Mans” title in the press release announcing the acquisition of Studio 397 and rFactor 2. This title is expected to use rFactor 2’s physics.

MudRunner VR is a VR exclusive edition of the original MudRunner initially releasing on Meta Quest headsets.

Announced via the Digital Bros Q1 2021 financial presentation.

Step into the polished shoes of a racing team manager in the heart-stirring Golden Era of motorsport where every decision can lead to glory or gravel. With sleek minimalist charm and deep strategic gameplay, Golden Lap offers a unique experience in the motorsport management genre.

The 2024 season addon for EA Sports WRC was available as a separate DLC for those who purchased EA Sports WRC. For those who purchased after its release, it was bundled with the 2023 content.

From the vibrant streets of Tokyo to high-stakes professional competitions backed by global brands, Torque Drift 2 invokes all aspects of drift and street culture to offer an experience as diverse and dynamic as the motorsport itself.

Announced October, 2019 with the extension of the F1 license until 2025. Developed and published by Codemasters, it will be the seventeenth title in the Formula One series developed by the studio.

Announced February, 2021 with the extension of the MotoGP license until 2026.

Currently an early beta and developed by a one-man team, GP Bikes is a realistic motorcycle simulator based on a scratch built physics engine that accurately simulates motorcycle dynamics and setup options.

World Racing Series is a realistic car simulator based on a scratch built physics engine that accurately simulates vehicle dynamics and setup options.

Get ready for a new beginning with the upcoming 2025 season, official riders and tracks, a renewed gameplay thanks to Unreal Engine 5, and much more! (Steam Description).

Announced February, 2021 with the extension of the MotoGP license until 2026.

Leave your mark on the world of racing in F1® 25, the official video game of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™, featuring a revamped My Team mode, the thrilling third chapter of Braking Point, and more! (Steam Description).

Licensed NASCAR title coming 2025.

Explore the world in the golden age of offroading. Drive iconic vehicles from the 60s to 80s by yourself or with friends through challenging trails and beautiful scenery. (Steam Description).

Ready for mayhem? Wreckfest is back, offering the best in full-contact racing with unrivaled destruction! Witness head-to-head battles as you tear apart rival vehicles bit by bit. Powered by the enhanced physics engine, developed by the creators of Wreckfest & FlatOut! (Steam Description).

FC is an F1-styled racing game with significant focus on career progression.

High-octane action and anime aesthetics collide in this arcade racing game, featuring fighting mechanics and a storyline that hits hard. In this world, some race for glory while others seek power or revenge. Every race is a fight and every battle is personal. (Steam Description).

Announced February, 2021 with the extension of the MotoGP license until 2026.