The biggest advantage that the Steam Deck has over other handheld gaming consoles is the vast catalog of games that it can take advantage of, thanks to the Steam OS. This is why the Steam Deck is a dream come true for people that enjoy racing games. These are our top 7 best racing games for the Steam Deck.
- DiRT Rally 2.0
- American Truck Simulator
- CarX Drift Racing Online
- Forza Horizon 5
- RIDE 4
- Circuit Superstars
- DiRT 5
We haven’t ordered this list, but rather merely given you a host of excellent racing games that we believe will satiate whatever your personal preference might be. To find out more about each game we urge that you continue reading this article!
7 Best Racing Games on the Steam Deck
Racing games have always captured the imagination of young and older players alike. There is something exhilarating about racing on a powerful machine, as it races on the road, dodging obstacles and overtaking other drivers. You can’t help but be enamored by the concept.
Video game companies release new and innovative racing games regularly to satiate the growing appetite of gamers wishing to be placed in the driver’s seat once more to race on the tracks unimpeded.
In the real world, you might not be able to get your fix on this sensation, and we certainly would recommend that you never try to seek the dangers of racing in the real world. This is why, if you’re someone who’s got a Steam Deck then we’ve got recommendations that would excite your heart to no end.
DiRT Rally 2.0
DiRT Rally 2.0 is a racing simulator that was published by Codemasters. It was the successor to the smash hit DiRT Rally 2015 and improved upon every aspect of its realistic driving physics. The game is a wonderful experience for true revheads and makes learning the masterful controls rewarding and fun.
The looks incredible drives great and sounds fabulous. This is why we feel no hesitation in adding it to our best racing games list on the Steam Deck. The game is available on Steam right now for only $8.49, and if you can catch the game on sale then it can go as low as $2.12.
There are, however, some things to be wary of when trying to figure out if DiRT Rally 2.0 is the rally racer for you. The first important thing to note is that the game is incredibly hard, as in hard with a capital H kinda hard.
This means that as a player you’re expected to exploit every advantage you can get, and practice until you have mastery over the control scheme and the driving mechanism. You won’t be winning the first rally that you do, but over time you can sense in real-time your skills and reflexes getting better, sharper faster.
If all that sounds exciting to you and you can’t wait to jump into the game then we highly suggest you test this rally racer out on Steam Deck.
American Truck Simulator
Perhaps you’re someone who is not into incredibly difficult controls, and tough rally races, but instead you’re someone that wants to hook up to their Steam Deck, and get lost on the virtual road. You want the feeling of a long drive, without leaving the comfort and coziness of your bed, and your cocoa machine.
Well, we have the perfect game for you if you’re that type of person. American Truck Simulator is a truck simulator, go figure, that was developed and published by SCS Software, and it is perhaps one of the best truck simulation games that I have ever had the pleasure to play.
The game allows you to drive your truck through beautiful landscapes ad locations and has a wide variety of modes that you can engage with to enhance your personal experience. I enjoy the short scenic drive through beautiful Wyoming. The drives are long even in Real-Time, but completely worth it.
You can get American Truck Simulator on Steam for $11.99, and several expansions and bundles can add more scenic routes and locations for you to travel as well.
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CarX Drift Racing Online
If you’ve ever been inspired by Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift then you will love CarX Drift Racing Online. In this game, you get the chance to completely immerse yourself into the wild, adrenaline-filled, yet surprisingly real world of drifting.
The game offers over 42 different types of cars for you to use and drift within. Moreover, you can get together with your friends due to the online functionality of the game, and burn some tired together. There’s nothing more satisfying than a successful drift, and CarX makes you feel it every minute.
You can play the game for free on your mobile phone. However, if you’re looking to get the full version of the game, and play it without hassle on your Steam Deck then you will have to pay once. The game costs $6.99 on Steam, as of writing this article. Prices might change in the future, but this is one game you should check out.
Forza Horizon 5
The Forza Horizon series has been known to consistently release incredible racing games that define a standard of quality for the entire genre. Things were no different for Forza Horizon 5 which was released in 2021.
Forza Horizon 5 is the ultimate Horizon adventure. There are so many vast, vibrant and open landscapes that you get to explore within the game, and the graphics are breathtaking. Especially, on the Steam Deck monitor, I always felt immersed in the experience and could hardly pull myself away.
At launch, the game had a car list that totaled over 630 unique and interesting vehicles. This is unprecedented in the history of the franchise. The game has active ongoing customer support, so you can easily fix any issue that you might have whilst running the game on your Steam Deck.
We recommend checking out Forza Horizon 5 for the Steam Deck, regardless of whether you check out any of the other games on this list. FH5 is truly a masterpiece. The game is currently available on Steam for $32.78.
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RIDE 4
Fancy yourself a motorbike rather than a car? Want to experience the competitive flow of professional racing and dozens of varied and interesting tracks? Then RIDE 4 is the game that will get you excited about Racing games on your Steam Deck.
RIDE 4 has always sparked a competitive spirit within me. It has hundreds of motorbikes that you can choose from, and there are dozens of unique and interesting tracks. The incredibly competent AI makes victory feel earned, and the driving itself has a layer of realism that forces you to learn and grow your skill.
For how stunning the game looks, it’s surprising to find out that it hardly costs any storage space on your Steam Deck. The game itself is merely 43 GBs, and as of writing, this article can be bought on Steam for $15.99. An absolute bargain in our opinion for the fantastic experience of the game.
Circuit Superstars
Circuit Superstars is unlike any other racing game that we’ve mentioned so far for this list of the best Steam Deck racing games. It is a top-down racer that has been built for the fans, by the fans. And has found incredible success by being exactly what the people have been hoping for.
The game has an incredibly high skill ceiling, and you’ll often find people addicted to obtaining their perfect lap, honing their skills for hours if need be. It was released in 2021 and was developed by Original Fire Games.
Circuit Superstars has over 12 vehicles to choose from, and each of these vehicles has unique handling, which makes playing any of them completely different from the last. This is why people spend hours perfecting their muscle memory with just one car, before moving on to the next.
There are over 19 tracks within the game, spanning across 13 spectacular locations that feel fresh, and challenging. The game is currently available on Steam for $8.19 and has really good compatibility with the Steam Deck.
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DiRT 5
off-roading is an incredibly fun activity, however, it can be very dangerous if you’re new to the experience. Luckily, you do not have to put your life in jeopardy just to experience the thrill of racing across an inconsistent plain. You can experience all that and more in DiRT 5 instead.
DiRT 5 is an action-packed, off-road, fun, arcade racing game that was created by Codemasters. In this game, you traverse ice, snow, sand, gravel, and all manner of different terrains to become the greatest rally racer ever. The game was released in the year 2020.
DiRT 5 is wonderful to experience and can last most players for an average of 8 and a half hours. Even after you finish the main campaign, there are a plethora of events and tasks that remain to be completed. If you enjoy playing on your Steam Deck while commuting then you will enjoy having this game along with you.
You can purchase DiRT 5 right now on the Steam store for $19.99.
Ultimately, there are several fantastic racing games available for you to play on your Steam Deck. We hope that our lists provide you with some great racing games.
The racing genre is all about high-octane action and laser-fast reflexes, and honestly? We wouldn’t have it any other way. Till next time! Ciao.