iRacing Arcade Reviews
iRacing Arcade may need more to make it feel complete, but what's here is worth $25.
It is pretty consistently fun, but it also makes some confusing decisions between available game modes, totally omits some base level racing game features you'd expect, and has a lack of gameplay depth even compared to other arcade-style titles. It's still a good time and worth checking out (especially at the price point), but I don't think it'll become a staple of my racing game lineup.
If your time is precious and you’re looking for a racer that’s easy to pick up and play, iRacing Arcade is well worth your time. You can jump into the cockpit for a quick race or explore the game’s deeper features when you have more time to spare. And with cross-platform multiplayer, you can even race against friends regardless of which system they play on.
Arcade-style third-person racer on PlayStation 5
While not a particularly innovative project in any of its aspects, iRacing Arcade is one of the most fun games in the genre in a long time, mainly because it focuses on the balance between strategic gameplay and a very user-friendly system that is easy to learn and master, even for less experienced players. Despite some missteps, it brings excitement and competitiveness to the heart of the action.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
It's a good game at its core, but we have the right to expect more from a game with iRacing in its name. If new content doesn't arrive soon, it might end up gathering dust on the shelves.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
There are two groups I see iRacing Arcade appealing to the most: people who are new to racing games in general and people who want something racing-themed for some unserious fun. It's a bit brilliant that iRacing Arcade sets up the former with a pipeline to get into the more serious iRacing platform. Despite having my own iRacing account and a significant sim racing setup of my own, I had a lot of fun with iRacing Arcade. It is a simpler game, not in a way that makes it feel inferior, but in a way that makes it stand out as an option to just get in some quick, casual racing fun.
iRacing Arcade is a game that is surprisingly easy to enjoy because it understands something that racing games sometimes forget: racing should be fun. It takes the iRacing name in a completely different direction and turns motorsport into something approachable enough for newcomers, while still retaining enough familiar racing ingredients to keep more experienced players interested. The driving is simple without feeling completely shallow, the career provides a reason to keep progressing and the Motorsport Campus gives that progression a little more personality. Fuel, tyres and damage demonstrate that there is more going on here than the colourful presentation initially suggests, while the different cars and circuits provide plenty of variety during those early hours. At the same time, I couldn’t help feeling that iRacing Arcade is holding something back. The career could make better use of its more interesting racing mechanics, the difficulty could be more consistent and the management elements could have been expanded further. There are times when the game gives you a glimpse of something deeper, only to pull back and return to its simpler arcade roots. Thankfully, the Xbox version has one particularly important trick up its sleeve: four-player local multiplayer. When you’ve got friends sitting beside you, iRacing Arcade suddenly becomes a wonderfully chaotic little racing playground. The forgiving handling becomes an advantage, the short races work brilliantly for quick competitions and the inevitable first-corner chaos can provide some of the best laughs you’ll have with the game. Ultimately, iRacing Arcade may not have quite enough depth to satisfy players looking for a serious long-term racing experience, but that isn’t really the audience it is chasing. This is a colourful, accessible and enjoyable arcade racer that wants to make motorsport fun rather than intimidating, and for the most part it succeeds. There is definitely more that could have been done, and hopefully the developers continue building on what is already a solid foundation. As it stands, though, iRacing Arcade is an enjoyable little racer that is particularly good fun when shared with friends, even if it occasionally leaves you wishing there was just a little bit more under the bonnet.
iRacing Arcade manages to transform iRacing's competitive DNA into a much more casual and accessible experience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
iRacing Arcade finds itself stuck in a strange personality limbo, never committing enough to either side of the racing spectrum to stand out among the dozens upon dozens of similar games released every year. It might have the pedigree and endorsement of one of the biggest names in racing simulation behind it, but ultimately, it lacks the focus, personality, and polish needed to truly make an impression.
iRacing Arcade is a racing and "management" game developed by iRacing. Derived from the original iRacing game, iRacing Arcade blends classic championship racing with a minimalist aesthetic, where the cars look almost like toys, with a campus management system where you can create structures like garages, engineering facilities, etc., to gain boosts, upgrades for your cars in terms of engine and damage, as well as other adjustments. You have the option of having some AI racers, as well as acquiring new cars, colors, helmets, and outfits for your driver.
iRacing Arcade is a solid product and fun in small doses. However, the feeling remains that it could have dared much more, especially because of the name it bears.
Review in Italian | Read full review
iRacing Arcade is a deeply frustrating game to review. The moment-to-moment gameplay is exceptional. The handling is intuitive, the art style is gorgeous, and chasing the perfect racing line on the Global Time Trial leaderboards is highly addictive. It runs decently well on the Steam Deck, making it a solid portable time-killer. But as a multiplayer package, it is currently dead on arrival. If you are buying this strictly for the single-player career and the time trials, you will find a lot to love. But if you were hoping to hop into a quick, chaotic public lobby to trade paint with strangers, you need to keep your money in your wallet until Original Fire Games releases a major matchmaking update. – Flare
iRacing Arcade is a great casual adaptation of realistic simulators, but it suffers from balancing issues, races that are too short, and a dispensable multiplayer mode.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The criticism around its connection to iRacing is only partly fair. Despite the branding, this is not a true iRacing-style simulation, and it should not be judged by those standards. It is designed as an arcade racer, so expecting deep realism misses the point. Overall, the experience is enjoyable in short bursts, especially for chasing lap times, but it lacks long-term appeal. At $25 USD, the current amount of content feels limited compared to other options. While it is fun and works well for quick sessions, particularly on handhelds, the lack of content and updates holds it back.
iRacing Arcade is my new go-to racing game because it hits that perfect middle ground between precision and arcade driving. It looks gorgeous with its cartoon-style 3D tracks and offers a career loop that feels rewarding as you level up your motorsport HQ. While the lack of tuning and automatic-only gearbox might annoy the hardcore sim crowd, the pure fun of the handling makes this a must-play.
iRacing Arcade may not be the most daring experiment, nor does it reinvent the wheel, but that doesn't stop it from being a genuinely enjoyable experience.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
iRacing Arcade is a fun, accessible driving arcade game with interesting ideas that manage to maintain a certain flavor of real competition. Its handling works very well, the AI offers intense races, and the tracks are quite well designed, but the game falls a little short in terms of content.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
iRacing Arcade is a one-of-a-kind game. It's not just a simple racing game, nor is it a watered-down simulator. It honors its roots, is fun right away, and introduces players to the world of licensed motorsport with physics that are easy to understand but also have a lot of depth. The game always rewards skill, whether you're racing a starter car around tight corners, working on your line in a Formula GP, or planning your pit stops against aggressive AI opponents.
iRacing Arcade is a fun and charming arcade game that delivers a satisfying driving feel. However, the lack of content and the odd decision to lock playing with other players behind an invite system ultimately make it difficult to recommend.
Review in Unknown | Read full review