iRacing Arcade

iRacing Arcade may need more to make it feel complete, but what's here is worth $25.

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.

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.

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 a great casual adaptation of realistic simulators, but it suffers from balancing issues, races that are too short, and a dispensable multiplayer mode.

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 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.

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.

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 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.