iRacing

About iRacing

iRacing is a single player and multiplayer racing game. It was developed by iRacing and was released on January 12, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

From NASCAR, rallycross, and Aussie Supercars to sports cars and Grand Prix racing, iRacing has it all. All you need is a computer, a gaming wheel or game pad that simply plugs into the USB port of your computer and an Internet connection. iRacing centrally organizes all of the racing for you with over 150 cars and tracks, 40 official series , or you can choose to host your own race or race in one…

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Reviews

84%Audience ScoreBased on 4,507 reviews

graphics62 positive mentions

monetization8 negative mentions

Highly realistic physics and car handling with laser scanned tracks for authentic racing experience.
Strong multiplayer infrastructure with frequent races and good match making across many racing disciplines.
Dedicated community with structured licensing system that encourages clean and competitive racing, supported by regular content updates.

Very expensive business model with mandatory subscription plus additional costly purchases for cars and tracks, which can add up to a large amount over time.
Steep learning curve and new players can experience frustrating matchmaking especially in rookie ranks with frequent reckless drives and penalties that sometimes feel unfair.
Outdated graphics and clunky user interface, with ongoing technical issues related to updates, launcher, and sometimes inconsistent collision and penalty systems.

graphics
262 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24% positive mentions, 57% neutral mentions, 19% negative mentions
The graphics of iRacing are widely considered outdated and dated, often compared unfavorably to newer racing sims, with visuals resembling early 2010s or even older generation quality. However, they are generally well-optimized for performance and VR, providing clear, detailed cars and laser-scanned tracks, though the surrounding environments and UI look aging. Many users acknowledge the graphics are acceptable for a simulation-focused game prioritizing physics and realistic racing, with anticipation for a forthcoming major graphics engine overhaul.
- “While iRacing may not boast the graphical fidelity of some modern racers like Gran Turismo 7 or Forza, its visuals are more than adequate for the simulation genre.”
- “The graphical quality can range from a slightly improved NASCAR 2003 all the way to cutting-edge graphical immersion as you fly by a packed grandstand with dust and leaves flying up over Mazda tail lights while the sun sets over the trees of Lime Rock.”
- “The developers are clearly listening, and the roadmap for the next-gen graphics engine and the full career mode rollout has everyone hyped!”
- “The quality of visuals isn't anything special; if anything, it lacks any NVIDIA upscalers and has horrible shadow quality even at 4x MSAA on a 5070Ti.”
- “Graphics are outdated; it's an old sim from 2008 that had some graphical updates, but the core engine is older than some people playing the game, and you can tell.”
- “-graphics are awful, the game looks terrible; I know that is not really so important in racing sims, but it's 2024 and I feel like I am back in time like PS2/early PS3 era.”
optimization
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20% positive mentions, 60% neutral mentions, 20% negative mentions
Optimization in this game is mixed according to users: while it offers well-balanced graphics and runs smoothly on modest hardware with good VR and triple-screen support, some report poor CPU optimization and performance issues, especially during rain or with large grids. The game prioritizes accuracy and consistent online performance over flashy visuals, but occasional bugs and stutters affect the experience for some. Overall, with proper settings, it remains one of the better-optimized racing sims available.
- “The focus here is more on performance and accuracy than flashy graphics, and the game runs smoothly, even in the most intense online races.”
- “I played ACC, WRC, AC (vanilla not the CM) but so far iRacing is still the best if we are talking multiclass, and the VR performance is quite optimized compared to other games (the reason I say this is because VR is my main rig for sim racing).”
- “You don't need the best PC in the world as iRacing is a really optimized game.”
- “Awful CPU optimization.”
- “Best physics and tyre model, the best ranking system on paper, the worst accident detection ever that punishes you if you dare to go fast enough to touch just beyond the curbs and that punished you for accidents caused by other mentally not so able drivers, the least optimized sim, the worst way to lose your money.”
- “Then there are considerable performance issues, how come a game that looks from the PS2 era can't manage to run at solid framerates, especially on some tracks?”
monetization
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11% positive mentions, 71% neutral mentions, 18% negative mentions
The game's monetization model is widely criticized as overly aggressive and predatory, requiring both a costly monthly subscription and expensive microtransactions for cars and tracks. Many users find this combination prohibitive and anti-consumer, significantly detracting from the otherwise high-quality racing experience. While some acknowledge the need for ongoing revenue to support updates, the overall consensus is that the monetization system is frustrating and burdensome.
- “Monetization is done via a monthly subscription, which allows for a niche game like this to continue to get amazing updates.”
- “If you have the requisites above and are willing to spend some significant amount of money on in-game purchases on top of the monthly fees, I highly recommend it.”
- “Just know what you're getting into! There are technically in-app purchases that determine what type of racing you'll be doing if you're on a budget, and also this sim is taken a lot more seriously than others, but it leads to some amazing races!”
- “Worst monetization scheme in the history of racing games.”
- “Last but not least, and most important issue, the horrible business practice of this game: you pay for a subscription but still have to deal with microtransactions, a well-tailored system that forces the user to purchase cars and tracks just to participate in a series. I am not going to spend 100 dollars per season just to purchase virtual tracks.”
- “Subscription fees and then microtransactions (actually not very micro, more like macro) for every single car and track without exception.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38% positive mentions, 53% neutral mentions, 9% negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised for its realistic car mechanics, immersive audio, and satisfying skill progression, offering one of the best competitive online racing experiences. However, it features a steep learning curve requiring dedication to master tuning and racecraft, which may not appeal to casual players. Some criticize the subscription and pricing model despite acknowledging that the gameplay itself continues to improve with updates and community support.
- “The game forces you to learn the basic car behavior mechanics before moving up in class.”
- “But this has had some of the best online gameplay I've ever seen.”
- “Gameplay is about as good as it gets; physics seem realistic.”
- “All the rain mechanics in the world would never make it worth the price of entry.”
- “New content is great, but fewer "big" releases might work better, especially since it might enable the iRacing team to build out more substantial gameplay/physics/graphics updates, rather than quick turnaround paid content.”
- “10 minutes of gameplay, max level.”
story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19% positive mentions, 67% neutral mentions, 14% negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional story mode, focusing instead on realistic racing simulation and gameplay depth. While some users wish for narrative elements like those in F1 2021, the overall experience is centered around immersive racing rather than storytelling.
- “Ok ok... car behaviour is a different story, same as tracks also in great detail... all nice and fluffy.”
- “I would also recommend F1 2021 as it has a great story mode but is restricted to F1 style cars.”
- “Your personal story just begging to be written.”
- “Full story - this game has requirements which are not mentioned anywhere, neither on the store page, nor when you click "launch" in Steam, nor are there any mentions during downloading/installation phases.”
- “☑ no story”
- “- no story”
stability
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 81% negative mentions
Stability reviews for the game are mixed, with many users praising its solid gameplay and force feedback but also reporting frequent bugs, crashes, freezes, and frustrating glitches that require extensive troubleshooting. Network and netcode issues like lag, teleporting, and phantom hits further impair the experience, especially in online racing. Additionally, performance problems on platforms like Steam and VR add to the instability concerns despite the game's strong community and authentic simulation aspects.
- “This game runs great and it has a really good force feedback.”
- “The best online racing community, actual penalties for driving like a fool, runs great on bad specs.”
- “Plays and runs great, amazing sim.”
- “In my weeks of troubleshooting this, I went from over irating 1500 to just 857... all due to dropped sessions and load failures.”
- “It's the only sim that I had so many problems with random freezes, stutters, and sound anomalies.”
- “Don't get this on Steam... stuck on patching after updates... freezes and crashes because of Steam!”
emotional
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The emotional experience of this racing sim is deeply polarizing—while some find it soothing and rewarding when playing cleanly and strategically, others express frustration and financial stress due to the game's high-stakes, realistic nature and competitive community. The intensity of realistic racing consequences often leads to emotional highs and lows, with moments of fulfillment contrasted by infuriation and occasional toxicity. Overall, it evokes strong feelings that can either be wholesome and relaxing or stressful and emotionally taxing.
- “All in all iRacing is a wholesome and soothing experience if you are just looking to kick back and unwind after a long day at the office, without having to worry too much about being a try hard and hitting every apex.”
- “One thing I learned early on in my still very young iRacing career, which was something so obvious, I completely "facepalmed" myself once I truly realized that I was so naive to believe it!... This was how I've been subconsciously trained over the years without realizing it, that all these movies and "arcade style" racing games make you think that you can just floor the gas pedal through a wreck, and things like touching a wall with the front fender does no damage to the car, or driving alongside another car and bumping his left rear fender causes no real crash — whereas in real life the wreck you would cause could be catastrophic to all cars involved!”
- “If you are a good racer and understand how to win a race from the very back without touching anyone, how to downshift, how to lift off the throttle, how to conserve tires and fuel, how to draft and slingshot... this game will infuriate you.”
humor
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The humor in the game often arises from its chaotic and unpredictable racing moments, such as hilarious car bounces, unexpected penalties, and buggy physics that cause amusing crashes. Players frequently find themselves laughing at both the game's quirks and the absurd situations that unfold during races. Despite some frustrations, the comedic mishaps contribute to an entertaining and memorable experience.
- “Nascar, GT3, GT4, and prototypes are great; skip Barbers and MX5's as they are hilarious to race.”
- “I couldn't stop laughing the whole time.”
- “While I was able to hop back in (for a matter of seconds before getting black flagged for speeding in the pit lane, noticing the black flag in the middle of turn 1 and promptly crashing because I was laughing too hard, but that's on me), it was multiple laps down because somehow the loading times are excruciatingly long and the loading process abuses your CPU to hell and back.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 12% neutral mentions, 88% negative mentions
Grinding in this game is widely regarded as tedious and frustrating, often requiring excessive time and effort, sometimes involving external tools like spreadsheets. Progression feels slow and punishing, especially due to mechanics like losing safety rating after wrecks, which can diminish motivation and enjoyment.
- “If you want to know the definition of frustration and grinding, here it is.”
- “After hours of grinding, I’m left with shredded nerves, lost motivation, and a game that feels broken in the most essential ways.”
- “The biggest problem with the grinding is that if you're in a wreck, you lose safety rating.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The atmosphere in iRacing is highly immersive and addictive, blending realistic physics with a strong, competitive community. Players appreciate the professional environment and social interactions, making it an essential experience for serious racing simulation fans.
- “The atmosphere of iRacing is incredibly addictive.”
- “I really enjoyed the racing atmosphere, racing against others, and the realism of physics played a big part as well.”
- “This game is a must-have for anyone looking for a legitimate racing simulator, especially for those who wish to take part in an in-depth and highly competitive atmosphere.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 100% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The game offers massive replayability value, providing players with extensive opportunities to enjoy repeated playthroughs.