Virtual reality gaming has exploded in popularity in recent years on the strength of technological innovation. There once was a point in time when VR gaming was thought of only in the imagination of people. Those days are gone, especially in the world of video game simulation racing where several video game titles and franchises have transitioned their wares into the realm of VR gaming.

These days, popular titles like Gran Turismo Sport, Project CARS, and Driveclub all support VR gaming. New games are also arriving specifically for this new platform, and with video game technologies continuing to advance at a rapid pace, it won’t be long before VR racing becomes the norm rather than the exception. Ahead of that inevitably, we have picked out the best VR racing games that you can play today. Immerse yourself in this new world of video game racing. The realism behind all of it is going to make your head spin.

Project Cars

For the longest time, the Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsports franchises have dominated the racing simulator scene. Then, in 2015, a new challenger arrived from developer Slightly Mad Studios. Project CARS bust into the scene five years ago, and in short order, it has established its own cult following among hardcore video game racers. Project CARS lacked in years of being under the sun, the game made up for by being one of the first titles to embrace VR racing. That gamble has paid off handsomely for the fledgling racing game franchise.>

iRacing}. If there’s one VR racing game/simulator that you should look into if you’re interested in entering this new subculture of the video game world, your choices should either by Project CARS or the game that came after it.

Project CARS boasts one of the best VR experiences you’ll ever get. It’s compatible with just about every VR headset in the market, including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and, of course, Playstation VR Gran Turismo Sport is one best video games in the market. Forget about genres for a second and absorb the previous statement. The kind of acclaim naturally translates to obscenely high expectations.>

So when Polyphony Digital jumped into the VR pool, everyone was keen to see how the game’s richness in every aspect would translate into the world of virtual reality. So far, Project CARS has lived up to the hype. Gran Turismo Sport}.

Drop the VR headset over eyes and it feels like you’re being transported Gran Turismo Sport VR the game. It’s still not as expansive as the standard Gran Turismo Sport, but those are tradeoffs that you should have no problem making. After all, virtual reality gaming is as much about the into as it is the gameplay.

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Launched for the PC in 2014, experience was never intended to be a VR game. But opportunities arose for developer KUNOS Similazioni when the VR movement arrived. Now, you can enjoy experience in the world of virtual reality, bringing a realistic racing experience to go with enough old-school race cars to transform you back to the 1950’s. Assetto Corsa}.

experience provides ease-of-play and high-quality visuals.>

The VR game supports a host of VR headsets, including Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Assetto Corsa Assetto Corsa doesn’t have as expansive an offering as other VR-compatible driving games, but it does offer a transformative and immersive racing experience that you don’t get from other games doesn’t straddle the murky line that separates racing games from simulators. It doesn’t distinguish one from the other because, at its core, Project CARS is a simulator.>

More than most VR racing games, Assetto Corsa doesn’t have as expansive an offering as other VR-compatible driving games, but it does offer a transformative and immersive racing experience that you don’t get from other games has become the go-to game — or is it more like a practice tool? — among real-world racers who are looking to sharpen their racing skills from the comforts of their own living rooms. Assetto Corsa}.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why real-world racers enjoy playing Project CARS. Not only do they get a chance to immerse themselves into the world of virtual reality racing, but, more importantly, they can clock precious practice time while doing it. Like most games on this list, Project CARS is compatible with a lot of VR headsets, including the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.

iRacing

The oldest car racing video game franchise planted its flag in the VR world with iRacing VR. I’ve tried my hand in this game, and I can tell you that it lives up to the lofty standards of the iRacing franchise. iRacing VR manages to compensate that with an easy-to-understand control scheme.>

iRacing VR}. There’s no cause for concern in this game with regards to it. iRacing VR is available on the App Store and is designed for DayDream View. You don’t have to invest in expensive headsets to enjoy this game. That’s another bonus that often goes unnoticed.

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iRacing has been around since 2002, but it wasn’t until the ascension of VR that the game’s potential was finally tapped. Need for Speed - No Limits VR has always had that ability to surprise VR gamers.>

It doesn’t hurt, too, that the game’s developers — Scawen Roberts, Victor van Vlaardingen, and Eric Bailey — have done a great job keeping the game as up-to-date as it needs to be in the face of growing competition in this pocket of the gaming world. Need for Speed “walk” mode, in particular, is particularly enjoyable, especially these days when a lot of us can’t go out of houses. Need for Speed - No Limits VR}.

Need for Speed - No Limits VR0}

Live for Speed has all the hallmarks of a top VR racing game that you need to experience. It wasn’t developed for that purpose by Sector3 Studios, but with the advent of virtual reality games, it didn’t take long for the developers to jump in on the VR bandwagon.

With so much attention placed on the Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsports video game franchises, Live for Speed might be the best racing game that you’ve never heard of.

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Developed by Evolution Studios, LFS’ is one of the best VR racing games in the market. Driveclub game franchise so incredible — but for your money, the game’s environment is as rich as any VR racing game you’ll get to play at this point.>

The game’s realism is its calling card, but you’ll also get your money’s worth with all the available cars and courses in the game. You can run up hours upon hours of game time, either by yourself or with your friends. LFS’ is also a PlayStation 4-exclusive game so if you own a PS4 and you’re in the market for a VR racing game that can exceed your own expectations, LFS’ is a solid choice.

RaceRoom Racing Experience

Whereas some VR racing games are more interested in showcasing technology over actual gameplay, some games kill both birds with one stone. RaceRoom Racing Experience falls under the latter category. Now I have played my share of VR racing games, but there aren’t many that can match the all-around comprehensiveness of RaceRoom Racing Experience.

Gran Turismo}. RaceRoom Racing Experience is available on Oculus and Steam, and the game offers support for Rift, Index, and HTC Vive.

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How do you follow up on a successful first offering with an even better sequel? That’s the question that game developer Slightly Mad Studios had to grapple with when it came time to start creating the follow-up t the highly successful Project CARS racing simulator.

RaceRoom Racing Experience evolved from the same formula that gave life to its predecessor. It had to be Driveclub VR in a lot of ways to justify the hype surrounding it. For the most part, Slightly Mad Studios nailed that.>

Driveclub}. Like most VR racing games, RaceRoom Racing Experience isn’t perfect; but as far as boasting the best all-around experience that you can get from a VR racing game, RaceRoom Racing Experience is one of the best titles in the market. You get what you pay for with this game — and so much more after that.

Driveclub VR0}

There are a host of PC racing games that work with VR. Among the popular ones include Project CARS 2, Driveclub, RaceRoom Racing Experience, and iRacing. This list is expected to grow as more PC racing games are developed for virtual reality.

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A lot of today’s car racing games and simulators are VR supported. Assetto Corsa, DiRT Rally, Rush, and Sprint Vector are all VR supported, either through PC VR, PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, or HTC Vive.

DiRT Rally VR

Numerous car racing games and simulators support virtual reality. Since the application of the technology works well in this setting, a lot of car racing games — even those that predate the arrival of virtual reality game application — have updated their games to support VR. Gran Turismo Sport and Driveclub VR are just to of the games that support VR.

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Dirt Rally VR}. The marinating process takes time, especially when you consider how expensive it is to set up a VR rig to fully maximize the virtual reality experience that these games offer. There will come a point when VR explodes and becomes a household gaming setup. Everything will line up when that happens, including the quality of racing games that will be available at that time.