The Absolute Best PlayStation 4 Racing Games of All Time

For gearheads and speed demons alike, PlayStation 4 (PS4) racers deliver arguably the most realistic and varied driving experiences in console history. The power behind this past generation machine ushered racing games into stunning new territory — but with so many quality titles across simulation, arcade, kart and more, where does one start?

That‘s where this guide comes in. Below we steer you through the PS4‘s landmark racing achievements guaranteed to meet any need for speed.

The Legacy of PlayStation Racing Games

Ever since original PlayStation classics like Gran Turismo and Need for Speed wowed ‘90s gamers with newfound realism, Sony consoles proved the premier destination for cutting-edge racers, continuing with PS2 and PS3 hit franchises.

But why this fixation on Sony systems? Simply put, proprietary hardware offered developers like Polyphony Digital and Turn 10 access to deeper technical capabilities enabling unprecedented simulation sophistication.

Codes leaked from Sony also accelerated franchise entries across platforms. When Xbox secured early Gran Turismo 4 code for reference, ensuing Forza Motorsport titles helped pull equal with GT in the simulation space. Similarly, arcade title Burnout Revenge improved realism after referencing unfinished GT concepts.

Regardless, PlayStation consoles remained the home base. And PS4 in particular with its fast 8-core AMD Jaguar CPU, powerful 1.84 TFLOP GPU and 8GB GDDR5 RAM granted developers unprecedented muscle for realistic rendering, physics and AI.

Now let‘s examine how creators harnessed such power for PS4‘s greatest racing triumphs!

Rating Criteria for PS4‘s Definitive Racers

While fan opinion widely varies on favorite PS4 racing titles given contrasting styles, we applied consistent grading criteria to single out those achieving greatness for these core pillars:

Graphics/Immersion – Beauty that moves you! Do visuals sell realistic speed? Does hardware push limits?

Physics/Handling – Do cars convey weight and grip realistically across surfaces? What about damage?

Gameplay Variety – Are there extensive cars/tracks? How broad are racing disciplines covered?

Community Features – Can groups easily organize events? How are public lobbies/matchmaking?

Innovation – Does the game uniquely push genre boundaries in some way? New concepts?

General Fun Factor – Is the game simply enjoyable to pick up and play for most racing fans?

Now let‘s run down the checkered flag winners!

#10 Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled

Beloved mascot platformer Crash Bandicoot first veered into kart racing back in 1999 on PlayStation. Nitro-Fueled remasters signature zany weapons, items and tracks for PS4 with gloriously updated graphics. Vibrant colors, smooth animations and creative vehicle designs underline its cartoon roots.

Handling leans towards exaggerated drifting physics for accessing shortcuts and chaining boosts but controls tightly given ludicrous speed. Besides original content, new tracks, karts and racers like Spyro reflect an astonishing amount of added fan service.

Why We Recommend

• Faithful recreation of PS1 classic
• Local/online multiplayer mayhem
• Highly accessible kart racing

#9 DIRT 5

As milestone MotorStorm developer Evolution Studios switched gears before being absorbed into Codemasters, the DIRT dev team took PS4 hardware for an exhilarating ride with DIRT 5‘s rough rally racing.

Locations like icy Norwegian peaks or Greece‘s rocky trails depicts remarkable landscape destruction as vehicles tear routes apart. Improved surface degradation leveraging PS4 computational power heightens realism each successive lap. Dynamic weather from thunderstorms to auroras further diversifies already challenging terrain.

It again confirms PS4 giving developers scope to deliver astonishing simulations paired with fun. "Our games keep evolving to offer players deeper experiences," Codemasters CEO Frank Sagnier explained. "DIRT 5 showcases our continued ambition to innovatively progress."

Why We Recommend

• Fantastic weather/destruction physics
• Robust customization options
• Captures rally‘s risk/reward formulation

#8 Wreckfest

Remember arcade classic Destruction Derby? Wreckfest triumphantly revives demolition racing for a new generation with its buildings constructed from crowdfunded origins. Even in Early Access, critics praised realistic damage modeling altering both cosmetics and vehicle performance as metal contorts and parts sheer off.

Such detail again ties back to ample PS4 resources. "Having that extra horsepower let us introduce incredible physics," explained designer Janne Suur-Näkki. "Cars don‘t just look damaged but also feel totally different to control. PS4 made this tangible in ways older tech couldn‘t."

Varied event types like racing, derbies and figure 8s compound longevity for competitive destruction. Though for solo players, customization and progression still engross across extensive garage options. If you secretly wanted to master wrecking as much as racing, Wreckfest is your demolition playground!

Why We Recommend

• Unique damage alters visuals and handling
• Extensive cosmetic/performance upgrades
• Designed for pick-up carnage

#7 Project CARS 2

Legendary Brazilian racecar driver Emerson Fittipaldi once described racing as "…being strapped to a bomb. If you have any doubts or reservations when you are at 200 mph, you are not going to win." Queue Project CARS 2 — the most intimidatingly authentic simulator seen on PS4.

PC2 significantly advanced handling physics of its predecessor with ultra-precise tire modeling encompassing temperature, friction and surface reproduction. Even slight suspension tweaks radically influence weight distribution and turn-in response. Stack expansive tuning configurations atop it all and you approach simulator nirvana.

Reviewers applauded PC2 stretching PS4 performance boundaries in favor of extreme accuracy. "It sets a new standard in immersion which feels almost real at times," wrote veteran racing critic Steve Polak. "The handling proves relentlessly unforgiving but wholly rewarding once mastered."

Approach PC2 as virtual driver training pushing you towards perfection rather than casual fun if wanting to stand victorious on the podium.

Why We Recommend

• Incredibly realistic tire/suspension physics
• 140 track & 60 location combos
• Comprehensive tuning options

#6 Burnout Paradise Remastered

Criterion‘s signature reckless racing series concluded a 7-year hiatus with Burnout Paradise’s PS4 enhanced release. This open world driving playground drops racers into Paradise City to battle AI rivals or simply perform automotive acrobatics like barrel rolling supercars off conveniently positioned ramps!

Though arcade-oriented, vehicle handling smartly conveys weight and grip changes when brushing walls or catching air after huge jumps. Gorgeous slow motion crash sequences also highlight PS4 GPU pushing polygon counts to new heights. Even a decade later with modern titles in market, Burnout Paradise’s addictive action still delivers.

"I‘m continuously amazed at the game‘s timelessness," Criterion CEO Alex Ward reflected. "Beyond technology, it succeeds connecting players with pure speed and movement joy impossible in the real world." Who could ask for more than liberating escapism?

Why We Recommend

• Massive open world stunt driving freedom
• Easy social online integration
• Big Surf Island DLC expands already huge map

#5 Need for Speed Heat

Need for Speed typically alternates between underground tuner culture street racing and more playful police pursuits. Heat synthesizes those dueling identities into a trilogy-capping celebration.

By day, hit sanctioned speedways and drag strips to earn cash for vehicle upgrades and visual customization. But when night falls in this Miami replicate, plunge into an illicit world of glowing neon aesthetics and aggressive police presence with equally souped-up AI competition ruling the streets.

Improved PS4 lighting capabilities highlight this stark day/night dichotomy visually while revamped physics alter handling behavior based on upgrades. The result feels like two games in one with extensive parts lists and constant police evasion sustaining tension across hundred hour plotlines.

Why We Recommend

• Rewarding risk/reward illegal street races
• Nearly infinite ride customization
• Cat-and-mouse cop pursuits thrill

#4 Gran Turismo Sport

The original PlayStation racing revelation delivered its PS4 debut by evolving into a globally recognized motorsport. This happened via an extensive beta program allowing Kazunori Yamauchi’s Polyphony Digital team to refine physics and features over a full year of testing and tournaments.

Visuals and audio reached impressive new photorealism between accurately reproduced interiors to working cockpit gauges. But deeper still, upgraded tire/suspension modeling delivers remarkable precision with changes influencing turn-in and rotation behavior just as in reality. Even master tuners can tweak for days chasing the perfect setup.

Beyond solo campaign challenges awaits FIA-sanctioned championships mirroring real-life GT series for serious competitors. "We are blurring the lines between reality and virtual racing unlike anyone else," Yamauchi stated during early beta phases. "Grant Turismo Sport will be the ultimate virtual driving test."

Why We Recommend

• Official FIA-sanctioned online championships
• Incredibly nuanced handling dynamics
• Livery editor offers nearly infinite customization

#3 F1 2021

As leader Codemasters holds official Formula 1 licenses, their annual franchise iterations capture rule changes and circuit revisions mirroring each subsequent real-life season. This positions games almost as extensions of reality showcasing expert craft reflected across extensive career modes.

But criticisms emerged on PS4 entry over reduced simulation aspects for accessibility and lack of dedicated community cultivation tools. "We have done a lot of things to ease up the experience for more casual users," director Lee Mathews explained. "Now with added power, we can satisfy both hardcores and newer fans."

Enter F1 2021 leveraging advanced PS4 hardware in favor of amped immersion. Updated track surfaces with reprofiled curbs and surrounding detail improvements force even seasoned racers to reconsider breaking points and lines. Added chassis momentum paired with proper slipstream drag also facilitate fierce pack racing and aggressive overtakes. Replay theater mode further bolsters community engagement for sharing clips.

It‘s a package showcasing PS4 muscle directed fully towards authenticity while retaining fun factors to bootstrap another generation into motorsport fandom. Projects Cars 3 director Stephen Viljoen perhaps said it best: "This is the definitive contemporary Formula 1 game. They‘ve struck a perfect balance as Codemasters keeps outworking all competitors."

Why We Recommend

• Comprehensive career with team ownership duties
• Revised rules/physics for renewed realism
• Shares DNA with real 2021 F1 Championship

#2 DIRT Rally 2.0

While milestone PS3 MotorStorm developer Evolution Studios got absorbed into Codemasters, their DNA charges forward full throttle. DIRT Rally 2.0 signifies Codemasters reaching a refined gameplay balance fusing Evolution‘s trademark white-knuckle intensity (now nicknamed “Fearosity”) wrapped around honed handling physics pushing PS4 to its very limits.

Cars respond amazingly natural with weight shifting influencing rotation mid-slide upon gear shifts while chassis bobble over terrain imperfections. G-forces pull blood from your face under braking into hairpins before buried throttles rocket out with a roar that practically screams speed. Even audio impresses from pieces rattling around claustrophobic interiors to environments pelting sheet metal that audibly deforms mid-rally. Harness and helmet visuals REMIND of the danger. It’s incredible.

"We are very proud Rally 2.0 showcases our best work maximizing PlayStation power for such immersion," explained DIRT series chief game designer Paul Coleman. "It moves so far beyond old arcade conventions towards real driving sensations. We essentially built an interactive documentary conveying what precisely makes rally so addictive yet terrifying."

Why We Recommend

• Gold standard rally racing realism
• Meticulously detailed inside/outside visuals
• Masterful sound design critical for focus

#1 Forza Horizon 4

Sony first party powerhouses like Gran Turismo unquestionably dominated previous generations. Yet Microsoft‘s Playground Games stole headlines by pushing boundaries with its breakout cross-platform Horizon entries melding authentic handling, infinite activities and multiplayer connectivity into racing nirvana earning near perfect review averages.

Horizon wonderfully balances accessible driving physics accommodating to all skill levels with seemingly endless solo/co-op events compounding its already addictive moment-to-moment gameplay. Cars handle predictably responsive to inspire confidence pushing flat out while offering staggering customization breadth. Paulo Bonetti, chief tester for Italy‘s Quattroruote automotive publication, praised its versatility enabling distinct tuner culture or competitive personalities. "It has this wonderful duality appeasing both tuner types wanting widebody kits and loud exhausts to compete with style versus obsessed interior decorators determined to perfectly match dashboard leather stitching!" he laughed. "Even beyond cosmetics, the mechanical upgrade paths impress for their authenticity. The driving feel changes based on installed parts exactly as it should."

But perhaps most impressively, Horizon leverages cloud processing for persistent dynamic seasons altering available events, collectible accessibility and even entire track layouts amid Winter snowfall. And seamless multiplayer integration persists across all activities so you’re bound to encountered random players during free roam inspiring impromptu drift trains or cross-country convoys. There‘s just so much on offer here.

Upon Horizon 4‘s launch, Yamauchi himself congratulated Playground Games for pushing genre boundaries commentating: "Forza Horizon continues proving the racing space has room for innovation. And most importantly, Playground hasn’t lost sight of fun amidst technical achievements. Their community cultivation stands unmatched.”

Why We Recommend

• Incredible driving feel accommodating all skill ranges via assists
• Dynamic seasons constantly renew experience
• Best-in-class community/multiplayer integration

The Road Ahead…

This generation treated PlayStation racing fans incredibly well thanks to improved hardware paired with innovative game design pushing the genre down new roads. With PlayStation 5 now extending performance gains, the next chapter of immersive driving excitement remains bright − especially in capable hands like Polyphony Digital.

Still, PlayStation 4 racers need not fear being left behind just yet. Some major upcoming 2023 releases like Gran Turismo 7 provide cross-generation support and plenty more DLC extensions likely enroute for established franchise favorites too. So keep those DualShocks ready − much open track still lies ahead!