I was pretty smitten with iRacing Arcade when I first played it on PC earlier in the year. It managed to capture the spirit of iRacing’s vast motorsport playground into quick, accessible, pocket-sized bursts of fun.
Now, that iRacing Arcade has finally landed on Xbox and PlayStation alongside a substantial content update, I jumped back behind the wheel to see how it all comes together.
Four New Cars, Four Very Different Experiences
The headline addition is a quartet of new vehicle classes, and they’re far from simple reskins. The standout is undoubtedly the racing truck. Based on real-world heavy rig racing, it sounds like the sort of thing that should be slow, cumbersome and a bit of a novelty. Instead, it’s an absolute riot.
Original Fire Games has done a brilliant job conveying the immense weight you’re hauling around without sacrificing any of the fun. You can feel the mass leaning against you through corners, yet the trucks remain really responsive and enjoyable to throw around.
The legendary Mercedes-Benz 190 E DTM is another winner. One of the most iconic touring cars ever built, it’s an absolute joy to throw around. If anything, it left me wanting more. The 190 E became famous by battling rival DTM machinery, and I couldn’t help wishing there were additional touring cars alongside it.
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The remaining additions are two historic Formula One cars from different eras — the 60s and 80s. They’re fast, but more of a handful than the other cars in the iRacing Arcade stable. Get a little greedy with the kerbs and you’ll quickly discover they have a habit of swapping ends without warning.
But there’s a catch — iRacing Arcade’s campaign mode still limits players to eight car slots, despite now having more vehicle classes than available spaces. The result is a surprisingly clunky system where you’ll occasionally need to sell cars from one category simply to purchase vehicles from another. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it feels increasingly awkward as the roster expands.
A Tour of Europe’s Finest
The accompanying track pack is equally strong. Monza is the headline inclusion and feels like a natural fit for the game. The bigger surprise is the historic layout, which incorporates the circuit’s spectacular banked oval section towering above the modern layout.
I do wish it went a step further. Rather than recreating the true historic configuration, the layout essentially combines the modern circuit with the famous banking. It’s still a blast to drive, but I’d have loved a more authentic trip back in time.
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Elsewhere, Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Magny-Cours and Circuito de Jerez all make excellent additions to the roster. Misano in particular is refreshingly uncommon in racing games, and great fun to drive.
Still One of the Most Accessible Racers Around
This update — and playing for the first time on Xbox Series X — served as a reminder of why I’ve enjoyed iRacing Arcade so much since launch.
It remains one of the easiest racing games to jump into for a quick session. Whether you’re chasing leaderboard times, tackling career events or simply squeezing in a few races between other games, it respects your time in a way many modern racers don’t.
The newly added split-screen support only strengthens that appeal. There’s something wonderfully old-school about sinking into the couch with a mate and having a race.
On Xbox Series X, performance remained buttery smooth throughout my time with the game, and beautifully showcased the colourful art style that gives iRacing Arcade so much personality.
Final Thoughts — Console Upgrade Worth It?
I’m so glad to see one of the year’s strongest arcade racers find its way to consoles. Split-screen in particular is a really natural fit, and the expanded content adds some good variety to an already strong roster.
Whether you’re a hardcore racing fanatic looking for an arcade experience, or a casual gamer after some co-op fun with your mates, iRacing Arcade is worth checking out.
iRacing Arcade is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam.
An Xbox review code was supplied to Quest Daily by the publisher.
