There are plenty of racing games available to choose from on Steam. But, which ones have the most active playerbases? We took a look at the data, and the results certainly surprised us.
Image credit: BeamNG
2023 is already three months old, and a lot has happened in the world of racing games. New titles emerged, like the highly anticipated Rennsport. Meanwhile, long runners like Assetto Corsa Competizione or iRacing are continuously evolving with updates.
But which titles have been the favourites of the PC gaming community in 2023 so far? We take a look at the most played racing games in 2023 on Steam by comparing the average concurrent number of players.
What we found, was a very surprising top ten.
Image credit: Frontier Developments.
F1 Manager 22 garnered a lot of hype in the Formula One community when it was released in September 2022. For a short time period, it even became more popular on Twitch than its sister game F1 22. Even though the hype is not as significant today, F1 Manager 22 found a solid player base which is growing again since the beginning of the 2023 Formula One season.
Image credit: Ghost Games / Electronic Arts.
After some mediocre iterations, Need for Speed celebrated a comeback in 2019 with its 24th instalment Need for Speed Heat. The open world street racing game was well-received by the community as it combined a lot of features and traits from older iterations of the franchise. More than 2000 people are still racing against the cops on average in 2023.
Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni.
The GT racing simulation Assetto Corsa Competizione was released in 2018. Despite the years that have passed since then, it remains one of the most popular simulations on the market. Endurance races like the 24h of Spa in particular are recurring highlights and keep the game relevant.
Image credit: CarX Technologies.
Drift racing has been a popular sub-genre ever since racing games existed. CarX Drift Racing Online is all about tuning every detail of your car to take on up to 16 opponents in multiplayer challenges. The drift simulator was originally developed for mobile, but also has found a big player base on Steam since its release in 2017.
Image credit: Codemasters / Electronic Arts.
The annual release of the official Formula One game is a highlight of the esports racing calendar. During the release month of July 2023, F1 22 had a stunning number of 23,763 people playing the game at the same time on Steam. Although the interest in the game has declined over the months, more people have picked it up again since the beginning of the 2023 F1 season.
Image credit: Saber Interactive / Focus Entertainment.
We are widening the definition of racing games a little bit to introduce you to this gem. SnowRunner is about navigating trucks through challenging terrain like snow, mud or torrential waters. The game has a very detailed physics system that requires to be very precise and cautious during your missions. One Steam reviewer summarised the game as “Euro Truck Simulator meets Dark Souls”.
Image credit: Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios.
Although it is more than four years old, Forza Horizon 4 is still belongs among the most popular PC racing games. The game offers one of the most vivid open worlds experiences in the genre, where you can drive more than 450 cars through the landscape of Great Britain to race, drift or simply explore.
Image credit: Playgorund Games / Xbox Game Studios.
Just ahead of its predecessor is Forza Horizon 5. While the game follows the same concept as Forza Horizon 4, there are some differences to highlight. The most obvious one is the setting as Forza Horizon 5 takes place in Mexico. Apart from that, 4K graphics are introduced to the franchise and the car park grew even bigger.
Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni.
Assetto Corsa is the oldest game on this list, being released in 2014. However, the classic still attracts a big number of players with more than 8000 people playing the game on average in 2023. Assetto Corsa is highly appreciated within the community for its physics engine and the detailed replication of real-world racing.
Image credit: BeamNG.
Speaking of realism, this is what the number one game on this list is all about. BeamNG.drive aims to be the most detailed vehicle simulation on the market. You can race or roam around 12 open-world environments. The game also has a big modding community which offers many additions to the base game. BeamNG.drive was released in 2015 but is still in its early access phase.
Which of these racing games do you play the most?
Image credit: BeamNG
2023 is already three months old, and a lot has happened in the world of racing games. New titles emerged, like the highly anticipated Rennsport. Meanwhile, long runners like Assetto Corsa Competizione or iRacing are continuously evolving with updates.
But which titles have been the favourites of the PC gaming community in 2023 so far? We take a look at the most played racing games in 2023 on Steam by comparing the average concurrent number of players.
What we found, was a very surprising top ten.
#10 – F1 Manager 22
Average concurrent players on Steam: 1727.Image credit: Frontier Developments.
F1 Manager 22 garnered a lot of hype in the Formula One community when it was released in September 2022. For a short time period, it even became more popular on Twitch than its sister game F1 22. Even though the hype is not as significant today, F1 Manager 22 found a solid player base which is growing again since the beginning of the 2023 Formula One season.
#9 – Need for Speed Heat
Average concurrent players on Steam: 2047.Image credit: Ghost Games / Electronic Arts.
After some mediocre iterations, Need for Speed celebrated a comeback in 2019 with its 24th instalment Need for Speed Heat. The open world street racing game was well-received by the community as it combined a lot of features and traits from older iterations of the franchise. More than 2000 people are still racing against the cops on average in 2023.
#8 – Assetto Corsa Competizione
Average concurrent players on Steam: 2254.Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni.
The GT racing simulation Assetto Corsa Competizione was released in 2018. Despite the years that have passed since then, it remains one of the most popular simulations on the market. Endurance races like the 24h of Spa in particular are recurring highlights and keep the game relevant.
#7 – CarX Drift Racing Online
Average concurrent players on Steam: 2597.Image credit: CarX Technologies.
Drift racing has been a popular sub-genre ever since racing games existed. CarX Drift Racing Online is all about tuning every detail of your car to take on up to 16 opponents in multiplayer challenges. The drift simulator was originally developed for mobile, but also has found a big player base on Steam since its release in 2017.
#6 – F1 22
Average concurrent players on Steam: 3322.Image credit: Codemasters / Electronic Arts.
The annual release of the official Formula One game is a highlight of the esports racing calendar. During the release month of July 2023, F1 22 had a stunning number of 23,763 people playing the game at the same time on Steam. Although the interest in the game has declined over the months, more people have picked it up again since the beginning of the 2023 F1 season.
#5 – SnowRunner
Average concurrent players on Steam: 3609.Image credit: Saber Interactive / Focus Entertainment.
We are widening the definition of racing games a little bit to introduce you to this gem. SnowRunner is about navigating trucks through challenging terrain like snow, mud or torrential waters. The game has a very detailed physics system that requires to be very precise and cautious during your missions. One Steam reviewer summarised the game as “Euro Truck Simulator meets Dark Souls”.
#4 – Forza Horizon 4
Average concurrent players on Steam: 5710.Image credit: Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios.
Although it is more than four years old, Forza Horizon 4 is still belongs among the most popular PC racing games. The game offers one of the most vivid open worlds experiences in the genre, where you can drive more than 450 cars through the landscape of Great Britain to race, drift or simply explore.
#3 – Forza Horizon 5
Average concurrent players on Steam: 8322.Image credit: Playgorund Games / Xbox Game Studios.
Just ahead of its predecessor is Forza Horizon 5. While the game follows the same concept as Forza Horizon 4, there are some differences to highlight. The most obvious one is the setting as Forza Horizon 5 takes place in Mexico. Apart from that, 4K graphics are introduced to the franchise and the car park grew even bigger.
#2 – Assetto Corsa
Average concurrent players on Steam: 8497.Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni.
Assetto Corsa is the oldest game on this list, being released in 2014. However, the classic still attracts a big number of players with more than 8000 people playing the game on average in 2023. Assetto Corsa is highly appreciated within the community for its physics engine and the detailed replication of real-world racing.
#1 – BeamNG.drive
Average concurrent players on Steam: 9611.Image credit: BeamNG.
Speaking of realism, this is what the number one game on this list is all about. BeamNG.drive aims to be the most detailed vehicle simulation on the market. You can race or roam around 12 open-world environments. The game also has a big modding community which offers many additions to the base game. BeamNG.drive was released in 2015 but is still in its early access phase.
Which of these racing games do you play the most?
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