13 Best Xbox Series X Driving Games To Play With A Steering Wheel

Highlights

• Steering wheels enhance immersion in driving games, offering precise movements and strong feedback.
• Titles like GRID Legends, Wreckfest, and F1 24 on Xbox Series X excel with wheel support.
• Games like Bus Simulator 21 and Forza Motorsport (2023) provide varied driving experiences with a wheel.

The quest for immersive experiences in video games is never-ending, and when it comes to racing games, oftentimes that quest leads players to put down the controller in exchange for a wheel.

Steering wheels provide strong feedback, improve the player’s ability to execute precise movements, and, best of all, vastly improve immersion. Sadly, not all driving games are created equal, and not all of them support the use of a wheel. Thankfully, that doesn’t mean there is a shortage of great titles that do. Some of the best driving games on Xbox Series X/S, from arcade racers to slow simulators, have full-wheel support and make the most of it.

Updated on August 21, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: There’s something oddly captivating about racing games that results in them being a blast to get into, with the sheer adrenaline of making overtakes at a breakneck pace being a huge reason why this genre of gaming is so coveted by many. Many gamers love to get immersed in these amazing games, going so far as to purchase a special wheel that they can connect to get into the shoes of a racing driver. Those who own an Xbox Series X can check out some of the best racing games on this console that support a wheel to make things more engaging for them.

13 GRID Legends

As One Would Expect From A Codemasters Game, This Title Features Amazing Racing Wheel Support

GRID Legends is an excellent racing game made by the masters of the sim racing genre, Codemasters. The title can take a while to get used to, but players who love checking out realistic racing games will find this title to be right up their alley. The depth of the gameplay in GRID Legends makes it one of the best racing games on the Xbox Series X, where players can plug in a steering wheel to make the racing even more tense and exciting than ever before.

The addition of a fleshed-out story mode ensures that players will have a great time with this game, whether they’re racing against friends or by themselves. The numerous tracks, deep racing mechanics, and technical fidelity ensure that GRID Legends serves as another feather in Codemasters’ cap.

12 Wreckfest

The Wheel Support Makes The High-Stakes Racing Even More Immersive

Wreckfest is one of the best racing games players can get their hands on. This title uses a soft-body physics model in the same vein as BeamNG.drive to ensure that vehicular damage is conveyed in a realistic manner. This makes it all the more important to ensure that players don’t end up wrecking their car.

With steering wheel support on the Xbox Series X, players must be extra careful about driving cleanly and keeping the damage to one’s vehicle to a minimum. This can be pretty frustrating, especially if players participate in a demolition derby. Thankfully, with enough effort, players can become champions of this driving game and turn their enemies into flaming wrecks while using a steering wheel to add more flair to their smooth moves.

11 F1 24

A Racing Sim That Is Objectively Better With A Steering Wheel

Formula 1 is one of the most popular motorsports of all time, making it clear why EA saw a ton of money in an annual racing series featuring this brand. F1 24 is the latest game where players can jump into the seat of an ultra-fast Formula 1 car and zoom past their opponents in tight races where they must manage their tires, keep track conditions in mind, and make strategic pitstops to ensure that they finish in a respectable position during each race.

Different constructors have varying expectations of their vehicle, and those using a steering wheel on the Xbox Series X to play this game must change their driving style to cater to the strengths and weaknesses of each title. Barring a few bugs and glitches, players should have a great time with this title as they strive to emerge victorious at all costs against both human and AI opponents.

10 Dirt 5

An Arcade-Style Racer With Solid Wheel Support

Like a few other titles on this list, Dirt 5 is far from a realistic driving sim. Instead, it takes arcade racing to dirt tracks for some ridiculous, silly fun. Players can jump between racing super trucks in crowd-packed stadiums, skidding across ice-covered rinks, and throwing mud in neck-and-neck rallycross.

Though the single-player campaign doesn’t have a particularly compelling narrative, and the wheel settings are limited, easy-to-learn controls and a lighthearted gameplay style make Dirt 5 easy to pick up and difficult to put down.

9 The Crew Motorfest

Plenty Of Pre-Configured Options Make This Game A Great Starting Point

The Crew: Motorfest continues the open-world formula that made the series popular, and it has a decent level of support for wheels as well. Driving around the scaled-down island of Oahu is enjoyable with a wheel straight from the jump, as Motorfest has a good selection of pre-configured options that provide solid experiences, but there are a lot of options to dive into and tweak as well. The presence of a dynamic wheel range makes switching between different cars more streamlined, as each vehicle’s independent wheel range is automatically configured into the player’s wheel setup.

Motorfest, as with previous titles in The Crew series, also features boats and planes, but players shouldn’t expect to hop into the cockpit of a plane using a wheel and have the controls make sense.

8 World Of Outlaws: Dirt Racing 23

Simple, Competitive Dirt Racing

• Released: August 15, 2023
• Developer: Monster Games
• Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch

The list of nitty-gritty tweaks available isn’t as extensive in World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing 23 as it is in other racing titles, but the deadzone and sensitivity options it does offer allow enough room for adjustments that most players should be able to find that driving sweet spot.

Races in Dirt Racing 23 take place in, well, the dirt, making force feedback hyper-present. Thankfully, there’s enough wiggle room in the effect strength settings to walk a comfortable line between immersion and over-the-top racing chaos.

7 Bus Simulator 21

When High-Octane Races Are Just Too Much Work

• Released: September 7, 2021
• Developer: Stillalive Studios
• Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, and Android

A far reach from the tracks of F1 or World Rally Circuits, Bus Simulator 21 provides entertainment in the mundane. Life as a bus driver in the real world comes with a slew of responsibilities and liabilities, but in Bus Simulator 21, that list is nothing more than a host of in-game penalties.

Driving a bus through the streets of a city provides a great deal of enjoyment when paired with a racing wheel, especially for those looking for immersion. Being a simulator, this title offers a long list of available tweaks to tailor the player’s experience.

6 Forza Horizon 5

Beautiful Vistas, Arcade Racing, And Responsive Controls

Forza Horizon 5 brings the streets of Mexico to life through the sounds of tuned-up turbos and roaring V8s. Events typically fall on the arcadey side of the line, but cars feel responsive, tight, and verging towards sim nonetheless. Forza Horizon 5 boasts a long list of cars, ranging from classics to top-end racers.

For those willing to spend a little extra, the Hot Wheels DLC throws in a whole spoonful of nostalgia with classic orange tracks and iconic cars from the Hot Wheels lineup. Whether players want to jump into a no-holds-bar, racing-inspired take on a battle royal, or sit back and unwind while gently cruising past coastal vistas, there is no shortage of experiences here.

5 F1 23

A Solid Simulation From The Pits To The Pedals

Occasionally, racing sims go beyond the driver’s seat, as is the case in F1 23. The game’s story mode does everything it can to simulate the feel of being part of a competitive racing team, complete with a narrative, engaging characters, realistic graphics, and memorable rivals.

The F1 series always manages to knock it out of the park when it comes to precision driving controls, but F1 23 is one of the best examples yet, so long as players aren’t afraid of taking the time to properly calibrate their wheel settings.

4 Expeditions: A MudRunner Game

Experience The True Meaning Of Feedback

• Released: February 29, 2024
• Developer: Saber Interactive
• Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch

One of the best reasons for having a gaming wheel setup is to get a true sense of feedback. From the surface through the tires and up to the steering wheel, having force feedback can provide a long list of information about what’s happening underneath the car that otherwise wouldn’t be so apparent. Few places have more surface information to take in than rocky slopes and muddy bogs. Such is the case in Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, where players will put their off-roading abilities to the test.

Expeditions goes beyond asking players to just bring their best driving skills, as much of the game is focused on making the right decisions while preparing for adventures. For those with a wheel looking for immersion but interested in taking things a little slower than on the F1 track, Expeditions is an excellent choice.

3 Forza Motorsport (2023)

An Enjoyable Gateway Into Simulator Driving

The newest title in the Forza Motorsport series continues the sim-lite experience. This is a drastic jump from the Horizon series, throwing out the populated open world, long jump challenges, and battle royal modes in exchange for a more serious experience. There is no shortage of tweaks to be made to cars, allowing a bunch of ways in which players can customize their vehicles to perform best while behind the wheel.

The game can feel slow at first, with a bit of a hill to climb before jumping in the driver’s seat of the fastest cars available, but even the slow classes feel great and realistic with a wheel setup, so long as players aren’t afraid to play around with controller and difficulty settings.

2 EA Sports WRC

The Precision Of A Steering Wheel Truly Shines On These Narrow Dirt Tracks

EA Sports WRC brings an eerily realistic driving feel when played with a racing wheel. Races are unforgiving, gritty, and occasionally frustrating, and though it can be a difficult title to jump into initially, with a little practice, players will soon find themselves breaking track records and mastering the harshest driving conditions.

Difficulty and wheel settings are more than enough for players to fine-tune to their liking. In addition to having a list of cars much longer than other rally sims, WRC also offers players the ability to build their own from the ground up.

1 Assetto Corsa Competizione

For Those Looking For True Simulation

Jumping into the driver’s seat in Assetto Corsa Competizione is no joke. This title takes the word “sim” seriously, offering a realistically unforgivable driving experience. Players shouldn’t dive in expecting to jump straight up to the top of the podium (or even fifth for that matter).

However, for those willing to learn the ins-and-outs of racing and spend countless practice laps getting to know their cars and the tracks, Assetto Corsa Competizione can provide an incredibly gratifying experience. Unlike other titles mentioned here, using a steering wheel setup is nearly required for players who want to prove themselves.