The new Formula 1 season is almost upon us, with the first race in Bahrain just days away. For F1 fans, this is one of the most exciting moments in the year, as it’s a time when they begin to make predictions of what will happen in the upcoming season. To coincide with this, many bookmakers run special free bet promotions in the lead up to the opening Grand Prix as they scramble for pole position in punters’ minds.
Of course, for the most die hard petrolheads, watching races and making predictions is only part of the fun. Many also enjoy getting behind the wheel themselves, though many prefer to do this virtually through the increasingly realistic racing video games.
If you’re one of them, here are some of the games worth playing in 2023.
Forza
Forza is one of the best-known racing game franchises, and it’s split into two main parts. The ‘Horizon’ games are focused on street racing, with an open world for players to explore in their cars. Meanwhile, the original ‘Motorsport’ line of games focuses on simulating professional racing on closed circuits.
Which one you play will depend on your interests, but both are great fun. In 2023, Turn 10 Studios will be releasing a new Forza Motorsport game, which will be worth the wait. In the meantime, Forza Horizon 5 continues to receive regular updates.
Gran Turismo 7
If you’re a PlayStation owner, then Forza is not a game you can play. However, Sony still has you covered thanks to its Gran Turismo series. Last year, the company released Gran Turismo 7 for both PlayStation 4 and 5, with support for the PS VR 2 added in late February 2023.
After getting off to a rocky start, Gran Turismo 7 has become an incredibly popular racing simulator, with many major upgrades from previous releases.
F1 22 and 23
If you’re a Formula 1 fan, the official F1 racing game series is one that you’ll want to play. The most recent release is currently F1 22 which includes all the cars and drivers from the 2022 season, though F1 23 is expected to drop in June with updated cars, tracks, and drivers.
This will mean the new Las Vegas night race will be included, which will see cars speed down the famous strip past many of the city’s legendary casinos.
F1 22 is definitely worth playing while we wait for the next game. Though the new one will offer the best graphics we’ve ever seen for a Formula 1 racing game and upgrades to the new Breaking Point story mode that fans had hoped to see in last year’s release.