Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteNASCAR 25 is a qualified return to form: its stock-car racing and four-series career ladder give NASCAR fans a compelling reason to play, but the overall package is less consistent. Reviews praise the handling and progression while faulting aspects of presentation, force feedback, customization, or career depth. Whether it feels thrilling depends on whether you want accessible NASCAR racing or a more demanding, polished simulation.
What is NASCAR 25, and where can you play it?
Developed by iRacing Studios, NASCAR 25 is an officially licensed racing game featuring the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and ARCA Menards Series. It launched on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on October 14, 2025; its Steam release followed on November 11, 2025. NASCAR and iRacing described it as the first standalone NASCAR console game produced by iRacing and the first official console title to bring all four series together (NASCAR’s launch announcement; Steam listing).
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Amazon Exclusive Edition - PlayStation 5 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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EA SPORTS College Football 25 - PlayStation 5 | $9.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Assetto Corsa Competizione - PlayStation 5 | $28.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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MotoGP21 (PS5) | $48.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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F1 23 PS5 | Video Game | French, English | $25.11 | Buy on Amazon |
The available modes include quick races, seasons or championships, career, and online multiplayer. The official site advertises licensed drivers and tracks, customization, and online lobbies for up to 40 players; these are listed features, not a guarantee of how reliably online play works in practice (official NASCAR 25 site).
Is NASCAR 25 good to drive?
Driving is the game’s clearest strength in several reviews. TheSixthAxis, which reviewed the PS5 version on October 22, 2025, praised its on-track handling and adjustable race length, difficulty, and damage. Gaming.net’s review, updated April 2, 2026, also praised the driving feel and AI. Both gave the game an 8, though those are individual outlet scores rather than a consensus rating (TheSixthAxis review; Gaming.net review).
#1 Best Overall
- READY, SET, WARP! Race across 24 tracks and warp to 15 CrossWorlds with Travel Rings, a unique gameplay mechanic that transports the iconic characters from the Sonic and SEGA universes into new dimensions. Use unpredictability to your advantage as you change the landscape of each race!
- RACE WITH THE BEST! Choose from 23 iconic Sonic characters, the largest roster of any Sonic racing game!
- MAKE IT YOURS: Mix and match between 45 unique original vehicles and 70 different gadgets to trick out your ride, level up your kart, and create the ultimate machine to match your racing style.
- GAIN THE ADVANTAGE WITH POWERFUL ITEMS! Dominate your opponents with 23 different items including returning favorites and all-new items like the Monster Truck!
- MULTIPLE WAYS TO PLAY: Gather with friends and play local split-screen in Grand Prix and the new party mode Race Park, compete against a community of players from around the world with up to 12 players online in World Match, or test your driving skills in Time Trials.
That praise has limits. WayTooManyGames scored its PS5 review 7/10 on November 7, 2025, and judged the simulation less complex than other racing simulators. Gamereactor was more critical of the graphics, sound, bugs, and force feedback, while still finding controller racing serviceable and the track feel a relative strength. If you are after accessible stock-car action, the driving may be enough; if you expect a demanding sim experience, the mixed views on realism and wheel feedback matter (WayTooManyGames review; Gamereactor review).
How does career mode work?
Career starts in ARCA and gives you a route through Trucks, Xfinity, and ultimately Cup. You create and customize a driver and vehicles, then handle sponsors and contracts alongside money, facilities, staff, and parts. In a May 1, 2025 developer diary, iRacing said off-track decisions would affect the path to Cup (iRacing’s career-mode developer diary).
Rank #2
- CampusIQ – Immerse yourself in authentic, fast-paced, college football gameplay with CampusIQ.
- Homefield Advantage – Game-altering homefield advantages rattle your rivals in college football’s toughest places to play. Test your squad’s road game composure and confidence levels as you play through distractions like screen shaking, missing pre-play icons, and moving play art.
- Iconic Atmospheres – From The Big House to the Swamp. From Tuscaloosa to College Station. Experience the decibel-shaking soundscape of college football putting you inside the stadium, alongside all the iconic rituals and traditions that make you feel right at home.
- Wear & Tear – With the new Wear & Tear system as the hits add up, players wear down. Manage your players’ health, limit fatigue, assess risk of injury, and avoid on field mistakes by using strategic substitutions to ensure your players are at their best when it counts the most.
The intended arc is more than a sequence of races: a NASCAR.com feature published at launch describes a career environment that changes from a backyard-style ARCA garage to larger facilities and more management responsibility. It also reports dozens of possible turning points meant to make the narrative more choice-driven. Producer Matt Lewis described the long-awaited idea this way: “Fast forward 20 years, and here we are. We are finally doing it.” That is the design ambition, not proof that every decision feels consequential in play (NASCAR.com launch feature).
Reviews diverge on whether the finished mode delivers enough depth. Gaming.net praised career progression, and WayTooManyGames highlighted its length and Dale Earnhardt Jr. material. Gamereactor, by contrast, called the career thin. The mode has a clear structure and management systems, but players looking for highly consequential choices should temper expectations. TheSixthAxis also found car-upgrade depth limited.
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- Assetto Corsa Competizione allows you to feel the real atmosphere of the GT3 championship
- Compete against official drivers,teams, cars circuits reproduced in game with the highest level of accuracy ever achieved on console
- Sprint, Endurance, and Spa 24 Hours races come to life with an incredible level of realism, in both single and multiplayer modes
Controller, steering wheel, and online play
Controller or wheel?
A steering wheel is optional, not a prerequisite. TheSixthAxis discusses wheel play, and Gaming.net mentions Logitech G29 users, but neither establishes that every wheel works on every platform. Check compatibility for your console or PC and the specific wheel before buying. Wheel-focused players should also weigh Gamereactor’s criticism of force feedback against the more favorable driving impressions elsewhere.
What to expect online
The official site advertises 40-player online races. TheSixthAxis praised the scale of online competition but noted that multiplayer could become chaotic. It also reported limits around lobby flow and custom liveries; official customization claims should not be read as a promise that every look can be used online.
Rank #4
- Experience the complete 2021 Season with all main official classes, rosters and tracks. More than 120 official riders, 20 official circuits and new and improved features like the introduction of the long lap penalty rule. Relive the history and all the emotions of the motogptm with more than 40 historic riders and their iconic bikes!
- your journey towards the Championship starts from the managerial career. Create the Crew of your dreams, choosing between official teams or a brand new one, and then select your personal staff, skilled professionals who will assist you during the Season. They will help you make essential choices like getting the best contract or understanding which area of the bike would be better to develop. Reach the motogptm or Moto2TM class and create and manage your very own junior team!
- when you can control every aspect of your race, every decision counts! Keep tabs on the level of fuel to put in your tank, the brake temperature and the tide wear and make critical choices according to your riding style and the race conditions. Gear up for the most thrilling racing experience but don't get too carried away: if you'll fall you'll now have to get back on the bike as fast as possible! And every second counts.
- whether is the way you ride or the way you look, style is key in MotoGP21. Stand out from the crowd and show off your unique style! Customize helmet, suit, stickers, racing number and livery with 5 incredible graphic Editors! And then go out there and impress everyone with your riding style too! But be careful, our revolutionary neural AI system based on machine learning is back with significant improvements, so get ready to discover New faces of a.N.N.A. In the most exciting offline races ever!
How do the visuals, sound, and presentation hold up?
Presentation is one of the most divided parts of the package. Gaming.net praised the current-generation presentation, while WayTooManyGames found track visuals repetitive. Gamereactor criticized graphics and sound, and TheSixthAxis described the interface as basic. These are reviewers’ impressions from their respective reviews, not a platform-wide performance measurement, so they do not establish identical results on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Other reservations include limited character customization, noted by TheSixthAxis and in Metacritic’s excerpt of Hardcore Gamer’s review, and inconsistent damage or caution behavior noted by Gaming.net. The criticisms vary by outlet; they are better treated as specific areas to consider than as a universal account of every race.
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- The captivating story mode, Breaking Point, makes a comeback with even more action and tension
- Two incredible tracks will make an appearance in F1 23 right out of the day: the Las Vegas Urban Circuit in Nevada, USA, and the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar
- With the integration of real feedback from an F1 team, the behavior of F1 23 vehicles benefits from some significant improvements over the previous version for people using steering wheels and joysticks
- Red flags make a comeback after nine years of absence and reinforce the spectacular side of racing
- True nerve center, F1 World is an exciting new way to enjoy most game modes
What do player reviews and critic scores tell you?
At the time Steam was accessed on October 8, 2026, its listing showed 72% positive from 1,798 total user reviews, and 80% positive from 42 reviews in the last 30 days. Those are changing Steam snapshots, not critic scores or a representative survey of all players (Steam listing).
Published outlet scores also vary: Gaming.net and TheSixthAxis each scored it 8, while WayTooManyGames scored it 7/10. Metacritic’s PS5 critic page includes further mixed excerpts: Hardcore Gamer praised physics and driving but criticized sponsorship goals, customization, and sound; GamingBolt called the game solid but questioned its value as a simulator for people who are not NASCAR fans. Excerpts and individual scores offer useful points of comparison, not a single verdict (Metacritic PS5 critic reviews).
Is NASCAR 25 worth it now that NASCAR 26 is out?
NASCAR 26 launched on September 18, 2026, and NASCAR described it as building on NASCAR 25 in its July 29, 2026 announcement. That makes the newer entry relevant if you are choosing between annual games. The available information here does not establish current comparative features or prices, so check each game’s current platform listing before deciding. NASCAR 25 remains easier to recommend to someone specifically drawn to its four-series career and stock-car racing than to a buyer seeking the newest entry or a broadly deep simulator (NASCAR 26 announcement).
NASCAR 25 is listed as digital-download-only on its official site, so the evidence does not support expecting a boxed physical edition (official NASCAR 25 site). Steam lists paid downloadable content; prices and availability can vary by storefront and region (Steam listing).
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- Good fit: NASCAR fans who want Cup, Xfinity, Trucks, and ARCA together, especially those interested in building a career up the ladder.
- Potential fit: Players who prioritize stock-car racing and are comfortable with mixed opinions on presentation, customization, and career depth.
- Less certain fit: Wheel-focused sim enthusiasts seeking consistently strong force feedback and deep simulation, or buyers who want the newest annual NASCAR release.
NASCAR’s vice president for Interactive and Emerging Platforms, Nick Rend, praised the team behind the game, saying iRacing paired its sim foundation with console veterans experienced in career systems and user experience. That is Rend’s assessment of the development team, not an independent verdict on the finished game (NASCAR.com launch feature).
Quick Recap
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