If you like to tear up the tarmac on your Xbox One then you're in luck — there are some great racing games available for Microsoft's console!
Racing games aren't for everyone, but for those who love them, often little else will do. Here we're taking a look at the very best that racing fans can get their hands on for the Xbox One.
Forza Motorsport 6
The king is back. Forza 5 represented a misstep with a serious lack of content but that's all been forgotten for its successor. Forza 6 is the best all round racing game on the Xbox One today. More serious sim racers will still go for Project Cars (or avoid consoles entirely) but Forza 6 is the most complete, accessible racing title yet.
460 cars, 26 circuits, night racing, rain, 24 cars in each race and a revamped multiplayer system that makes it less daunting to beginners are all part of what makes this game so great.
Besides all that you get stunning graphics at 1080p, a super solid 60fps frame rate and a perfect balance of realism and good old fashioned fun and playability. It celebrates 10 years of the franchise on Xbox and it does it in some style.
Project Cars
Project Cars is a racing title in a similar vein to Microsoft's own Forza Motorsport series. But while Forza Motorsport 5 was a disappointment for a few key reasons, Project Cars is nothing of the sort. It didn't have an easy birth, with a number of delays leading up to its eventual launch proving frustrating for eager Xbox racers.
It's big, it's ambitious and it's absolutely gorgeous. Forza may have the edge on the visuals, but Project Cars is still a looker. It's had to tone down to 900p, however, in order to achieve 60fps. You get 16 cars on track at once, you get a decent variety of cars to race around in and a fantastic selection of real world circuits.
It's the circuits which are probably the star of the show. Project Cars doesn't just have the big, famous tracks like Silverstone, Dubai, Le Mans, but it also has some less well known tracks, like Cadwell Park in the UK. And if you want a challenge, definitely head to Cadwell. It's a circuit best known for motorcycle racing since it's very narrow, technical and challenging,
The early days of Project Cars were dogged by bugs, but most of those seem to have been ironed out now. For folks looking for a dose of realism, it's one to go for.
F1 2016
If you're a fan of the world's premiere single-seater series, F1 2016 is a continuation of the Codemasters series that's packed with all the licensing you could shake a stick at. Every circuit on the F1 calendar is represented, all the current teams, drivers and liveries, and it's the closest most of us will ever get to the real thing.
While the 2015 edition missed a few tricks, 2016 is the real coming of age for the series. It's jam packed with all the glitz and glamor that fans could want, and is accessible for casual racers to jump in and have a good time. For the more adventurous, there's a whole raft of things in there to make the experience as challenging, and as realistic as you'll get right now on a console.
Trackmania Turbo
Racing doesn't always have to be about realism, gorgeous environments and enormous lists of cars. Sometimes it can just be about fast speeds and high thrills. That's where Ubisoft's Trackmania Turbo comes in. Based around the time attack principle and defying the laws of physics, it's furious racing action wrapped up in a neat, well priced bow.
There are tons of races and tracks to entertain yourself with either on your own, with a friend or online. If you're looking for something fun without any associated grinding through careers and levelling up, give it a shot.
Coming soon: Forza Horizon 3
Forza has long set a visual standard on the Xbox and none of that changes with the latest in the Horizon series. Developed by Playground Games and using the shared ForzaTech engine that also powers Forza 6, what we have here is something very, very special. Set in Australia this time around, Horizon 3 looks better than its predecessors while taking in a world twice as large and diverse.
It's not as appealing to track fanatics, perhaps, but when it launches in mid-September, Forza Horizon 3 could well be the one to beat.
Originally published August 2015, updated September 2015