The popularity of racing games and simulations is hard to gauge, especially since they seem to vary considerably around the releases of new content, big updates or even influences of real-world events. What can be gauged, however, is cold, hard numbers - so we did just that for the most important racing titles on Steam in April 2023.
Image Credit: Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
It should come as no surprise that more casual titles have bigger player bases, which is reflected in the statistics for April as well. However, two titles which are popular among sim racers are not that far off from competitors with bigger names - or are even ahead of them.
Note: While iRacing is available on Steam as well, its numbers are not representative as most players acces the sim through its own UI. As a result, its statistics are not included in this article.
Silver goes to BeamNG.drive, which is not far off Horizon 5. Having long evolved from simply being a "crash your car as ludicrously as possible" type of simulation, BeamNG.drive keeps making progress in its driving model. It also ties in with Automation, in which players can design and build their own cars down to the engine layout, then export their creations and get behind the wheel in BeamNG.drive.
Slotting in right behind in the final podium spot is Assetto Corsa. Thanks to the immeasurable amount of mods, the simulation has become a platform for almost anything on four wheels. Drifting and free roaming servers attract the attention of more casual players as well, and its low price - which often drops below 10€ during sales - certainly helps accessibility.
Interestingly, Forza Horizon 4 has found its way into the top four - the predecessor to the first-placed title of April is still popular. It even gained 15,32% more players compared to the previous month, narrowly denying F1 22 the final spot on the podium thanks to this increase. The official F1 game is nearing the end of its lifespan, with F1 23 having been announced for a June 16th release.
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Image Credit: Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
It should come as no surprise that more casual titles have bigger player bases, which is reflected in the statistics for April as well. However, two titles which are popular among sim racers are not that far off from competitors with bigger names - or are even ahead of them.
Note: While iRacing is available on Steam as well, its numbers are not representative as most players acces the sim through its own UI. As a result, its statistics are not included in this article.
Surprise on the Podium
The occupant of the top spot is up front by quite a margin: Forza Horizon 5 managed to grab the attention of the most players, both on average and at its peak. The open world racing game saw a 28,49% gain in player numbers compared to March - possibly in part due to the release of the High Performance update towards the end of the month, which saw the introduction of the Horizon Oval Circuit as well as four new performance cars.Silver goes to BeamNG.drive, which is not far off Horizon 5. Having long evolved from simply being a "crash your car as ludicrously as possible" type of simulation, BeamNG.drive keeps making progress in its driving model. It also ties in with Automation, in which players can design and build their own cars down to the engine layout, then export their creations and get behind the wheel in BeamNG.drive.
Slotting in right behind in the final podium spot is Assetto Corsa. Thanks to the immeasurable amount of mods, the simulation has become a platform for almost anything on four wheels. Drifting and free roaming servers attract the attention of more casual players as well, and its low price - which often drops below 10€ during sales - certainly helps accessibility.
Interestingly, Forza Horizon 4 has found its way into the top four - the predecessor to the first-placed title of April is still popular. It even gained 15,32% more players compared to the previous month, narrowly denying F1 22 the final spot on the podium thanks to this increase. The official F1 game is nearing the end of its lifespan, with F1 23 having been announced for a June 16th release.
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