Technologies
The Best Racing Games and the Wheels and Pedals to Play Them With
Add a wheel and pedals to these PS5, Xbox and PC racing games to have an amazing gaming experience.
Whether you’re into real-life motorsports or not, racing video games offer the exhilarating experience of sending fancy cars hurtling around tight asphalt bends or down dirt tracks in ways you’d never dream of doing out there in the real world. Add a racing wheel and pedals to the mix, and things get even more immersive as you suddenly have to drive your vehicle almost exactly like you would a real car.
And with so many great wheel-compatible racing games on the PS5, Xbox Series S or X and the PC, there’s no shortage of excitement, whether you want true-to-life sim racing or more of a frantic joyride across open worlds. It’s a sizable investment to get a good setup, but it’s worth it if you’re a fan of this type of game.
Read more: Best Gaming Laptop 2023
My current favorite racing wheel is the Thrustmaster T-GT II wheel, which includes a separate three-pedal footboard. It’ll set you back a sizable $800, but its high torque and real-time force feedback means it offers an extremely lifelike racing experience, letting you feel everything from differences in ground textures to tires slipping as you take a corner too quickly. It’s sturdy, comfortable to hold and works on both PS5 and PC.
Though you can get various racing frames and stands to play in front of your living room telly, I simply clamped mine to my desk, putting the pedals on the floor and playing via my existing monitor.
Once you’re set up, you’re ready to race. These are some of the best racing games I’ve found that benefit most from the added realism of using a wheel-and-pedals set.
Gran Turismo/Sony
Available on: PS5, PS4
A PlayStation icon, Gran Turismo’s latest outing brings exactly what you’d expect from the series; photo-realistic graphics, a fleet of cars to choose from and rigorously modeled real-world racing tracks from all over the world. The game is stunning and lets you dive deep into the world of car modifications and tuning setups, if that’s your thing.
It’s best played with a wheel and pedals set, letting you feel exactly like you’re behind the wheel of cars from the likes of McLaren, Aston Martin, Dodge or a wealth of others. Sure, it’s not perfect; earning money is slow going and, yes, you can controversially just buy more with in-game microtransactions, as if paying the whopping $70 (£70) price for the game wasn’t already enough.
But if you want to experience tracks like Silverstone or the iconic Nurburgring in pristine detail behind the wheel of some of your favorite cars, GT7 is a no-brainer for PlayStation owners.
Codemasters
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC (via Steam)
If you’ve been hooked on Netflix’s Drive To Survive series, then maybe it’s time you took your own step into the F1 racing world. F1 22 maintains its formula of putting you behind the wheels of the biggest, most powerful, most expensive racing cars on the planet, sending you hurtling around real-world racing tracks and daring you not to take the best racing lines.
You can start your own racing team and battle names like Verstappen, Hamilton, LeClerc and Norris as you progress through the game. The physics feel excellent with a racing wheel (although how they actually compare to real life F1 racing I’ve no idea) and despite an often relentless focus on «proper» driving, it remains fun and enjoyably challenging to play.
Read more: 15 Best PS5 games to play right now
Microsoft
Available on: Xbox, PC
The Forza Horizon series has been my favorite racing franchise since its launch, and the fifth generation is no exception. Set in Mexico, Horizon 5 maintains the glorious open-world scenery, letting you send a huge variety of real-life cars hurtling down volcanoes, over sand dunes or around sweeping coastal roads at tire-squealing speeds.
I fully completed the game on the Xbox Series X using a standard controller, but trying it out with a wheel and pedals was a huge revelation for me. It was harder at first, but I quickly fell in love with how much fun it was to actually steer my Bugatti Chiron at top speed around the map or to practice my drift skills in one of the Hoonigan vehicles.
It’s an exceptionally fun game and well worth playing with a racing wheel and pedals.
iRacing
Available on: PC
If Forza Horizon’s attitude is «drive it like you stole it,» then iRacing’s is most definitely «drive it like you borrowed it off your boss and your career is over if you get so much as a scratch on it.» You’ll find no driver assistance, auto braking or steering guides here, nor any kind of rewind mechanic or even a mini map of the track you’re on.
Instead, iRacing is about pure realism, with tracks and physics modeled with brutal accuracy and a focus on genuine skill and knowledge of the tracks and cars in order to do well. Unlike others on this list, iRacing is an online subscription game, where progression takes place via competing in races against real players at set times of the day. Furthering your journey doesn’t just involve winning; you earn your next license instead by driving safely, avoiding colliding with other cars or coming off the track.
As a result, it’s arguably the least «fun» game on this list, but its laser focus on realism means it’s the nearest you’ll get to actually feeling like you’re behind the wheel of a race car on a track and it’s why real-life pro racers reportedly use iRacing as a training ground.
Codemasters
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC
When you want to ditch the smooth, asphalt tracks in favor of some rain and mud, Dirt 5 is the game to look toward. This rally racer leans less into the hardcore simulation elements of others in the series, instead offering a more accessible arcade-style gameplay that I really enjoyed.
The variety of tracks is good, the graphics are stunning, and power-sliding the numerous vehicle types around rough corners felt great with my wheel and pedals. There are driver assistance options (which I used, because I’m here for fun, not for a lesson in car physics) but you can adjust these to suit.
The career mode itself is pretty forgettable, but you’ll keep coming back for fun races and the gorgeous settings.
Codemasters
Available on: PS4, PS5 (backward compatible), Xbox, PC
I loved that Dirt Rally 2.0 took me back to playing the original Colin McRae Rally on the PS One back in 1998. It’s a similar game to be fair, with full-length rally courses set across beautiful locations in rally countries like Wales, Greece and New Zealand. Thankfully, the graphics and physics have somewhat moved on in the last 25 years, with gorgeous visuals and car handling that reacts to the environment, weather and car damage.
Tracks are well-modeled, and putting in good times means focusing on your driving, making full use of your brake pedal, and paying close attention to what corners or jumps are coming up. It’s much more of a rally sim than Dirt 5, but it’s still accessible enough for racing tourists like me to fire up and have a ton of fun sending my car around tight bends.
Game console reviews
Technologies
Apple Reportedly Planning Cheaper Macs to Compete With Budget Chromebooks, PCs
Apple doesn’t market its machines as affordable, but that could be changing.
Apple may release more affordable Mac laptops to compete with Chromebooks and budget-friendly Windows laptops as early as 2026.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the company has plans to roll out a machine for «well under $1,000.» According to Gurman, the new laptop is already in early production under the codename J700. This matches earlier rumors that a low-cost MacBook Air was in the pipeline at around $599, which would allow Apple to directly compete with other cheap laptops, including Chromebooks and Windows PCs.
A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
According to the report, costs will be kept down by using a lower-end LCD that’s smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, potentially making the new affordable MacBook as small as 12 inches.
Another way Apple could reduce the cost is by using an A-series iPhone chip, which falls short of the top-tier performance offered by the MacBook Pro or the current M4 Air. The upcoming chip may be a variant of the A19 Pro chip that debuted with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air, which Apple says is capable of MacBook-level performance.
As CNET senior editor Matt Elliott noted, the promise is a bold one. He speculates that the rumored $599 MacBook Air may get the same smartphone processor, or an M-series chip based on that architecture.
Bloomberg also reports that a MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro and M5 Max chip is in development, and Apple has completed work on a MacBook Air powered by the M5 chip, which is planned for release early next year.
The affordable laptop would be designed for casual users, students and businesses, specifically individuals who need a device for tasks such as web browsing, light media editing and document creation. The tech giant is also targeting the education market, as well as iPad buyers who may also want a traditional laptop.
«If this is strictly a move to entice consumers with a high-quality, lower-cost MacBook running MacOS in place of an iPad with a keyboard, then yes, Apple can likely take a chunk of that market,» said Josh Goldman, managing editor at CNET.
«Making inroads into the education market at this point, where Chromebooks have taken over since the pandemic, will prove challenging, though I’m sure it’s nothing that throwing billions of dollars at can’t fix,» CNET’s Goldman said.
This price range is ‘a big departure’
Price is likely to be key here. A $599 price tag would place the new Mac in the same range as more affordable Chromebooks and entry-level laptops, representing a significant change from Apple’s previous strategy.
«Apple potentially dipping into the Chromebook range of $300 to $500 with a new MacBook is a big departure,» said Goldman.
He notes that one of Apple’s most affordable MacBooks is the M4 MacBook Air, available new starting at $999 for the 13-inch model. Walmart still sells a new M1 MacBook Air, a 5-year-old laptop, for around $600.
By contrast, an iPad 11th Gen with a Magic Keyboard will run you around $600, making it clear that Apple’s target market for the rumored device is students and lighter users.
Apple typically hasn’t targeted the lower-priced segment of the market with its MacBooks. However, with consumer wallets under pressure from inflation, high tariffs and layoffs, an affordable MacBook could be imperative and timely.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 5, #408
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 5, No. 408.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is pretty diverse. The blue answers stuck out to me right away, because some of them are super famous and the others felt like they belonged with those names. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: How to see a game.
Green group hint: Soccer.
Blue group hint: Giddy up!
Purple group hint: Not a run play.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Ways to consume a sporting event.
Green group: NWSL teams.
Blue group: Triple Crown horse racing winners.
Purple group: Pass ____.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is ways to consume a sporting event. The four answers are in person, radio, streaming and television.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is NWSL teams. The four answers are Current, Dash, Pride and Spirit.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is Triple Crown horse racing winners. The four answers are Citation, Gallant Fox, Omaha and Secretariat.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is pass ____. The four answers are breakup, interference, protection and rush.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 5, #878
Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 5, #878.
Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a diverse mix of topics, including a neat blue category that music fans will ace. And it isn’t too tough, but if you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Mess up.
Green group hint: Lead pipe is another one.
Blue group hint: They command the stage.
Purple group hint: Not snow, but …
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Make a hash of.
Green group: Weapons in the game Clue.
Blue group: Iconic soul singers.
Purple group: Rain ____.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is make a hash of. The four answers are blow, botch, butcher and spoil.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is weapons in the game Clue.The four answers are candlestick, knife, rope and wrench.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is iconic soul singers. The four answers are (Anita) Baker, (Roberta) Flack, (Aretha) Franklin and (Gladys) Knight.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is rain ____. The four answers are bow, coat, forest and maker.
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