Best Motorcycle Racing Games, Ranked

In the dangerous world of motorsport racing, motorbikes manage to stand out as an especially high-octane mode of travel. The MotoGP, the grand prix of motorcycle racing, has showcased masters of their craft for years now. Both the MotoGP and other associations like it have helped to inspire a variety of racing games that provide players with plenty of thrills.

From straightforward racing simulations to more inventive, obstacle-laden tests of players’ reflexes, the subgenre of motorcycle racing has quietly set itself apart from the more common car racing subgenre. These games provide reflex-testing thrills for racing fans, with a new set of challenges for those used to racing simulated cars. The finest motorcycle racing games strive tirelessly to capture the adrenaline-rushing intensity of the racing track for players to enjoy.

Updated on September 25, 2024, by John Cunningham: This list has been updated to include five more motorcycle racing games that have positively impacted the genre. The thrilling, daredevil world of bike racing has been captured remarkably well in video gaming over the years. From straightforward, grounded takes on the racing world and its numerous tourneys to wilder, more violent classics from the early years of home console gaming, the following 10 games have all brought something exciting and memorable to motorcycle racing gaming.

10 Moto Racer 4

An Old-School Racer With An Immersive VR Option

• Initial release date: 13 October 2016
• Developer: Microïds, Artefacts Studio
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, VR (PSVR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift)

Despite enduring a surprisingly negative reception at the time of its release, Moto Racer 4 has a lot to offer players. With a variety of racing tracks and free-styling bike tricks to discover, the game is a high-octane thrill ride for bike racing fans.

With a litany of unsettling crashes for players to avoid, Moto Racer 4 successfully cultivates a high-risk atmosphere throughout its gameplay. The game also supports VR, offering players the chance for an immersive – if somewhat terrifying – racing experience that challenges the player’s senses that much further. While its old-school gameplay and presentation irritated some players and critics, it also serves as a rewarding piece of nostalgia for longtime racing gamers.

9 SBK X: Superbike World Championship

A Fun Racer With An Epic-Length Career Mode

• Initial release date: June 4, 2010
• Developer: Milestone
• Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC

This fast-paced release from Milestone quickly turned heads with its three distinct modes of gameplay. Multiplayer, simulation, and arcade in particular ensure players enjoy a diverse gaming experience.

Setting itself apart from its predecessors with a brand new career mode, the game offers players a whopping eight years of action to play through as their racing character. For racing fans, SBK X offered a step-up in the level of championships on offer, as it finally added the Supersport and Superstock to its list. Overall, with its long list of fresh features and fun, old-school arcade mode, this game marked a new peak for the SBK series at the time of its release.

8 Ride 4

Impresses With Engrossing Visuals

• Initial release date: October 5, 2020
• Developer: Milestone
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Amazon Luna, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S, GeForce Now

When it comes to realistic graphics, Ride 4 more than delivers the goods with its state-of-the-art visual appeal. With 170 motorcycles to choose from, players are spoiled for choice in this polished effort from Milestone.

At the time of its release, some critics were dismissive of the game’s old-school approach to controls. Some may see this as a negative. However, the blend of more old-fashioned gameplay with modern visual quality makes for a perfect modern gaming experience for longtime fans. It brings the best of separate gaming generations together. While it might not be a groundbreaking effort, Ride 4 deserves props for its neat and tidy approach to the often-frustrating thrills of high-difficulty video game racing.

7 TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2

A Sharper, Harder Effort Than Its Predecessor

• Initial release date: March 19, 2020
• Developer: Kylotonn
• Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, GeForce Now

As confirmed by the title, this racing series throws players into the heat of the well-known Isle of Man TT race. The 13-day TT (Tourist Trophy) is among the most difficult and prestigious motorcycle races out there and is perfectly suited to the immersive world of gaming.

The second Ride on the Edge ups the ante from the original, hitting players with a blistering pace on the racetrack. Constantly testing gamers’ reflexes, the action-packed racing provides the game with a surprising level of suspense. The breakneck intensity of the riding never lets up. With crisp graphics and richly colored landscapes, the game serves as a visual treat, improving on the already respectable bar set by its predecessor. Notoriously difficult, Ride on the Edge 2 is a treat for seasoned racing gamers looking for a tough challenge.

6 Tourist Trophy

A Rewarding, Progress-Focused Racing Experience

• Initial release date: January 16, 2006
• Developer: Polyphony Digital Inc.
• Platforms: PlayStation 2

This 2006 classic provided players with one of the most in-depth motorcycle racing experiences in gaming history. Sporting several gaming modes, including a challenge mode and big race events, the game wowed players with its cutting-edge racing gameplay.

To even progress to taking on challenges and entering races, players must first make their way through a License School mode. The training experiences serve as a challenging, but rewarding progression mode for gamers to earn their way into the bigger action racing simulations the game has to offer. While its graphics and gameplay aren’t exceptional by modern standards, Tourist Trophy deserves recognition for its long-lasting influence on racing simulation games in the years since its release.

5 Valentino Rossi: The Game

A Fast-Paced Look At The Titular Racing Legend

• Initial release date: 16 June 2016
• Developer: Milestone S.r.l
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC

Released in tandem with 2016’s MotoGP World Championship season, this well-received Milestone effort allows players to tackle the whole season in the gaming world. Unsurprisingly, the game also zeroes in on titular racer Valentino Rossi, charting his career and adapting it for the gaming medium.

Considering his standing in the motor-racing world, as well as his numerous accolades, Rossi’s career makes for suitably thrilling fare to play through. Boasting the slick action MotoGP gaming fans have come to expect over the years, Valentino Rossi is a sharp, well-measured dive into the dangerous world of motorcycle action that shows respect to both the sport and the legendary competitor it is named after.

4 MotoGP 20

Debuted A New AI For The Series

• Initial release date: April 23, 2020
• Developer: Milestone
• Metascore: 76
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows

The 2020 edition of the MotoGP series provides some historical interest for racing fans. Released during the pandemic, the game provides players with a look at how the MotoGP season that year would have looked had it gone ahead.

Sporting several interesting tracks and international Grand Prix races that ultimately didn’t happen in reality, the game also offers an intriguing new AI model. The addition of Neural AI 2.0 proved to be a huge improvement, granting players a far smoother experience when it comes to key riding issues such as fuel and the condition of the wheels on each bike. With a diverse set of game modes to choose from, MotoGP 20 is an effective, richly detailed piece of Grand Prix motorcycle racing action.

3 MotoGP 21

A Slick, High-Impact Racing Effort

• Initial release date: April 22, 2021
• Developer: Milestone
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch

At the time of its release, MotoGP 21 was marketed heavily as the most realistic two-wheeled racing experience to date. While sometimes eerily similar to its predecessor, 21 offers a variety of updates that help to improve the overall MotoGP experience.

Along with displaying a variety of even scarier crashes than usual, the game also emphasizes the pressures of handling the vehicle. Between the speed and the immersive nature of the first-person gameplay option, players can enjoy a lively sensory approach to the always-dangerous world of bike racing. The overall attention to detail is remarkable, with even the temperature of the brakes noticeably impacting the player’s vehicle. Overall, this is a slick showcase of the thrills and spills the MotoGP series has to offer.

2 Road Rash

A Seminal, Combat-Filled Classic

• Initial release date: September 1991
• Developer: Electronic Arts
• Platforms: Various (Classic platforms: Sega Genesis, PS1, PC)

This seminal installment from the earlier years of home console motor racing has enjoyed an influential legacy over the years. Taking place in California, the game blends some surprisingly vicious combat into its races.

Each successive race becomes noticeably more difficult as players progress through the game. On top of the increasingly complex racing tracks, players must brace themselves for vicious attacks from their opponents, fighting fire with fire as they engage in tough combat at high speeds. Highly praised at the time for the thrilling quality of racing action on offer, Road Rash is still a surprisingly addictive 16-bit effort all these years later.

1 Trials Evolution

An Action-Packed, Motorcycle-Racing Masterpiece

• Initial release date: April 18, 2012
• Developer: Ubisoft RedLynx
• Platforms: Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows

This fast-paced platform game benefits greatly from its emphasis on high-stakes obstacle courses. Players take control of riders going through dangerous racing trials.

Boasting technically sound gameplay, addictive multiplayer action, and slick, well-realized visuals, Trials Evolution established a new bar for motorcycle racing games moving forward. Thanks to both its track editing feature and a wide assortment of established racing tracks, the game also provides players with plenty of fun replay value. Trials Evolution is a near-flawless example of the high-speed thrills the perilous world of motorcycle racing can bring to the video gaming medium.