There are so many sim racing games out there aiming to recreate official real-world racing championships, so here is a list of them all for the 2023 season.
At its core, what is the main point of sim racing? Sure, competition is a part of it, but the original goal of the hobby is to recreate the thrill of racing in some of the world's top motorsport events. From the British Grand Prix to the Monte Carlo Rally, racing fans are now able to live vicariously through gaming.
But now with more and more single-championship games on offer, it is easy to get lost with which game does what. So here is a list breaking down all the 2023 motorsport championships you can recreate in sim racing via their own official racing games.
2023 Formula 1 in sim racing. Image credit: EA Sports
In F1 23, the game even got a collection of additional circuits giving players more freedom online. But sticking to the offline racing against AI, one can fully recreate grand prix and the entire 2023 season with the championship mode.
Additionally, the Formula 2 feeder series features in the title in both 2022 and 2023 specification.
Getting all the venues, cars and drivers from the year, one can faithfully recreate events from last year's racing. Though ensuring the game does not fill your multiple-terabyte hard drive, stages are not faithful to every route run in 2023. Instead, each location gets a main 30-odd kilometre route inspired by the real roads split into multiple variants.
EA Sports WRC gets real liveries for many 2023 rallying championships. Image credit: EA Sports
The official 2023 WRC game also features a collection of the top WRC2 and JWRC cars alongside a plethora of classics from the history of the sport. With the 2024 season now well underway, EA Sports is yet to announce if its current licence will see it update the 2023 game, or release a new one. Fans of the sport will have to wait and see before bringing Gregoire Munster from the ashes to victory.
Le Mans Ultimate has all you need for the 2023 FIA WEC. Image credit: Studio-397
Passionately recreating top flight Hypercars and getting LMP2 and GTE models with all the liveries and drivers from last year, it is a fantastic title for fans of the sport. However, with just seven tracks in its current state, those looking for online replayability may struggle to stick with it.
That being said, 2024 content will be on its way later down the line getting new cars and a quartet of new locations.
Race the 2023 Stock Car Pro Series in Automobilista 2. Image credit: Reiza Studios
Each year, the title gets updated with the official cars and liveries from the previous year's season. So far, AMS2 still features all the circuits from the real series, last year visiting Goiana, Interlagos, Taruma, Velo Citta, Velopark and Cascavel. The game allows players to compete in the championship mode with the series saved as a preset.
Originally representing the 2021 season, this American title developed under the iRacing banner has since received a number of updates bringing both the 2022 and 2023 seasons' worth of content in DLC form.
A plethora of car classes are available to race in the game ranging from entry-level models to the top-flight, winged monsters. It also gets a collection of drivers and more circuits than you can shake a stick at. It may be great at replicating the real championships of dirt racing, but those looking to explore the niche will also enjoy the title.
Early on in its life, the game was excellent at giving fans full seasons of the championship. But ever since 2020, it has missed the odd circuit or car to accurately recreate the championship. That is also the case for the 2023 season. Whilst last year saw the Valencia circuit finally join the sim, it still lacks the German Hockenheimring to fulfil the calendar, and that is whilst overlooking extensive upgrades brought to Zandvoort since its last ACC scan.
Older GTWC seasons are more accurate than 2023 in ACC. Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni
Overlooking these missing or inaccurate venues, Assetto Corsa Comepetizione is still a great game for simulating 2023 GT3 racing from the GT World Challenge Europe to the endurance-leaning Intercontinental GT Challenge. Following the most recent addition, one can even run a full Nürburgring 24 Hours, that is without the production-based car classes.
For the 2023 season, the game gets most of the liveries and cars as well as all circuits, but it is missing the latest Lamborghini Huracan model. Unfortunately, Mirko Bortolotti aboard his SSR Performance Lambo managed second place in last year's championship. So it is not as if the unknown backmarker was the one being overlooked.
rFactor 2 includes the cars, drivers and liveries from the 2023 British Touring Car Championship - but sadly omits 40 per cent of last year's track layouts. Well, officially, anyway...
Our rundown of the top bike-based series in official sim racing games will be published tomorrow so do keep an eye out for that.
What is your favourite official racing series game? Let us know in the comments.
At its core, what is the main point of sim racing? Sure, competition is a part of it, but the original goal of the hobby is to recreate the thrill of racing in some of the world's top motorsport events. From the British Grand Prix to the Monte Carlo Rally, racing fans are now able to live vicariously through gaming.
But now with more and more single-championship games on offer, it is easy to get lost with which game does what. So here is a list breaking down all the 2023 motorsport championships you can recreate in sim racing via their own official racing games.
EA SPORTS F1 23: The Official Formula 1 Game
A long-standing franchise in the world of racing games, Codemasters and EA have released annual editions of the F1 game since 2009. Each year, the title gets every car, livery, driver name and circuit as per the real-world season. That is bar the 2020 edition getting the original calendar of circuits rather than the jumble that was a Covid-affected season.2023 Formula 1 in sim racing. Image credit: EA Sports
In F1 23, the game even got a collection of additional circuits giving players more freedom online. But sticking to the offline racing against AI, one can fully recreate grand prix and the entire 2023 season with the championship mode.
Additionally, the Formula 2 feeder series features in the title in both 2022 and 2023 specification.
EA Sports WRC: The Rally Racing Series
Another long-term annual release franchise is the World Rally Championship games. Though for the 2023 edition, the licence changed hands meaning this is the first EA-developed WRC title.Getting all the venues, cars and drivers from the year, one can faithfully recreate events from last year's racing. Though ensuring the game does not fill your multiple-terabyte hard drive, stages are not faithful to every route run in 2023. Instead, each location gets a main 30-odd kilometre route inspired by the real roads split into multiple variants.
EA Sports WRC gets real liveries for many 2023 rallying championships. Image credit: EA Sports
The official 2023 WRC game also features a collection of the top WRC2 and JWRC cars alongside a plethora of classics from the history of the sport. With the 2024 season now well underway, EA Sports is yet to announce if its current licence will see it update the 2023 game, or release a new one. Fans of the sport will have to wait and see before bringing Gregoire Munster from the ashes to victory.
Le Mans Ultimate: FIA WEC in Sim Racing
Unlike the first pair of annual releases, Le Mans Ultimate is a new title without predecessors. That is unless you look back to the PlayStation 2 days. Currently available in Early Access, it accurately simulates the 2023 season of the FIA World Endurance Championship.Le Mans Ultimate has all you need for the 2023 FIA WEC. Image credit: Studio-397
Passionately recreating top flight Hypercars and getting LMP2 and GTE models with all the liveries and drivers from last year, it is a fantastic title for fans of the sport. However, with just seven tracks in its current state, those looking for online replayability may struggle to stick with it.
That being said, 2024 content will be on its way later down the line getting new cars and a quartet of new locations.
Automobilista 2: Brazilian Stock Car Game
Today, Automobilista 2 is a wide-open sandbox racing title with a jaw-dropping amount of content to get stuck into. But at its core, the title is a successor to the official Brazilian Stock Game racer, Game Stock Car. As a result, it gets a sometimes hidden focus on the Stock Car Pro Series.Race the 2023 Stock Car Pro Series in Automobilista 2. Image credit: Reiza Studios
Each year, the title gets updated with the official cars and liveries from the previous year's season. So far, AMS2 still features all the circuits from the real series, last year visiting Goiana, Interlagos, Taruma, Velo Citta, Velopark and Cascavel. The game allows players to compete in the championship mode with the series saved as a preset.
World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing
Speaking of national motorsport championships with games available to the world, World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing is a console game accurately depicting the World of Outlaws series. Racing on dirt ovals, this series is a great grassroots series for those on their way to NASCAR level. Though many racers find a passion for the loose surface and manage to spend their lives on dirt.Originally representing the 2021 season, this American title developed under the iRacing banner has since received a number of updates bringing both the 2022 and 2023 seasons' worth of content in DLC form.
A plethora of car classes are available to race in the game ranging from entry-level models to the top-flight, winged monsters. It also gets a collection of drivers and more circuits than you can shake a stick at. It may be great at replicating the real championships of dirt racing, but those looking to explore the niche will also enjoy the title.
Assetto Corsa Competizione: An Honourable Mention
Now diving into national series, you may be wondering where perhaps the most popular GT racing game is on this list. Yes, Assetto Corsa Competizione has become the go-to simulator for online GT3 competition. But in its inception, the Kunos title was all about recreating GT World Challenge Europe.Early on in its life, the game was excellent at giving fans full seasons of the championship. But ever since 2020, it has missed the odd circuit or car to accurately recreate the championship. That is also the case for the 2023 season. Whilst last year saw the Valencia circuit finally join the sim, it still lacks the German Hockenheimring to fulfil the calendar, and that is whilst overlooking extensive upgrades brought to Zandvoort since its last ACC scan.
Older GTWC seasons are more accurate than 2023 in ACC. Image credit: Kunos Simulazioni
Overlooking these missing or inaccurate venues, Assetto Corsa Comepetizione is still a great game for simulating 2023 GT3 racing from the GT World Challenge Europe to the endurance-leaning Intercontinental GT Challenge. Following the most recent addition, one can even run a full Nürburgring 24 Hours, that is without the production-based car classes.
RaceRoom Racing Experience: A Surprise DTM Entrant
Another title doing its best to recreate a championship from the 2023 season but just falling short is RaceRoom Racing Experience. Perhaps not the first game one thinks of when talking about a modern racing title, R3E has long had a partnership with DTM, featuring the mind-boggling Class One regulations. But now, with the series stepping away from the crazy racers, RaceRoom is building up its collection of GT3 cars.For the 2023 season, the game gets most of the liveries and cars as well as all circuits, but it is missing the latest Lamborghini Huracan model. Unfortunately, Mirko Bortolotti aboard his SSR Performance Lambo managed second place in last year's championship. So it is not as if the unknown backmarker was the one being overlooked.
Further Alternatives
Of course, there are many more racing games attempting to recreate 2023 motorsport seasons, though do not get enough content to fully replicate a full championship. One title of which would be iRacing and the NASCAR Cup Series featuring all the tracks and cars from last year's season. But without official support for the season's drivers and liveries, we cannot include it in this list. The same goes for the online service's IMSA sportscar content.rFactor 2 includes the cars, drivers and liveries from the 2023 British Touring Car Championship - but sadly omits 40 per cent of last year's track layouts. Well, officially, anyway...
2023 Sim Racing Series on Two Wheels
There is no doubt that the art of sitting behind one's force feedback wheel and pedals whilst pretending to drive is a hobby best suiting four-wheel motorsport. However, those with a preference for visiting Spain and Italy multiple times a year and leaning into corners also have plenty to enjoy.Our rundown of the top bike-based series in official sim racing games will be published tomorrow so do keep an eye out for that.
What is your favourite official racing series game? Let us know in the comments.
