PC gaming handhelds, including Steam Deck, are perfect for racing games. While some of the newer titles either don’t work that well or encounter frame rates lower than 60, there are loads of banging racing games that are light on resources and run wonderfully on the Steam Deck at high frame rates.

1Rush Rally 3

I’ve spent more than 36 hours inRush Rally 3and have no regrets. The game’s a love letter to thePS2-eraColin McRae Rally titles from Codemasters. It offers a fun yet challenging driving model, a good number of legendary racing cars (the names are different, but you’ll have no trouble recognizing your favorites), mountains of content, andretro-perfectvisuals.

What I like the most aboutRush Rally 3is that you’re able to finish most stages in under five minutes, and have a pace timer informing you how you’re standing at each moment of the stage (you can turn it off if you want). This allows for a quick restart once you notice you’re lagging behind considerably without thinking you wasted time because most stages are quite brief yet very well-designed.

There’s a bunch of championships to win, a good selection of rallycross races that can be quite challenging on higher difficulties, and generous cash rewards. The good news is that each car handles differently and can be upgraded to an extent, keeping things fresh. Oh yeah, you also have regular multiplayer events, as if there wasn’t enough content already. In a nutshell, this is a perfect retro rally game that works wonderfully on the Deck.

2Rush Rally Origins

Rush Rally Originscomes from the same kitchen that cookedRush Rally 3, but this one takes a top-down approach to racing, offering a challenging experience from the old-school isometric perspective.

The handling model has been tweaked compared to Rush Rally 3 to offer a more responsive experience from the top-down perspective, but the rest is pretty similar.

There is a great selection of classic cars, almost 50 stages to drive around from all around the world, mountains of single-player content that will make you busy for dozens of hours, and retro-perfect visuals that will immediately teleport you to the late 90s-era of gaming. Perfection.

3Circuit Superstars

Circuit Superstarsis a modern take on classic top-down racers, featuring an enjoyablesimcadedriving model closer to simulation than the arcade end of the spectrum. You’ve also got stylized visuals that aren’t too demanding for the Deck as long as you don’t crank the visuals to the max.

The game includes various championships, with a steady progression system that puts you behind the wheel of 16 different car categories: from classic racers to modern GT machines to Formula 1 buzzers, you’ll get to experience racing cars from all eras of motorsport.

This is a rare top-down racer leaning more toward the simulation part of the equation. Another sim-like feature you’ll find is pit stops, meaning you must watch for tires and fuel when racing.

I like howCircuit Superstarsallows drivers to develop different strategies for different car types. For example, some racing cars are easier to control and develop tire wear slowly than others, allowing you to spend one extra turn on worn tires to build an advantage over AI drivers. But if you try doing that with muscle or open-wheel cars, you’re cooked.

All in all,Circuit Superstarsis one of the best top-down racers out there, and I cannot recommend it enough to everySteam Deckowner.

4Art of Rally

Similar toRush Rally 3,Art of Rallyis a love letter to rally, spanning eras from the 1960s to the days of Group B, and the game absolutely slaps. The best thing about it is that the stages are designed in a way to evoke a feeling of starring in some super-cool rally video collage.

Add the handling model that rewards powerslides in acute corners and hairpins and a unique camera angle placed quite high above and behind your car, looking like a drone filming you in real-time, and you’re going to feel like the star of some best-of retro rally video collection.

The game features a good number of rally stages and lots of classic rally racers. The selection isn’t as rich as inRush Rally 3, but there’s enough content to keep you glued to your Steam Deck’s screen for about 20 hours.

5Parking Garage Rally Circuit

Parking Garage Rally Circuitis a low-fi rally game that’s feels like it was made for the Steam Deck and otherPC gaming handhelds. Its retro visuals nail the old-school atmosphere while allowing the game to run on a potato.

The game’s arcade driving model, rewarding drifting in every corner, is so satisfying, and its unique tracks taking place in parking garages across the USA bring a breath of fresh air compared to other rally games.

I simply love this game because it gives me the same rush as other greats from the rally genre while offering uniquely designed tracks while forgoing the genre’s core tenets and delivering a rally experience unlike any other. A definite recommendation.

6Wreckfest

RememberFlatOutandFlatOut 2? Well, the studio behind two classics, Bugbear, has made another demolition-focused racer in the form ofWreckfest. What I like the most aboutWreckfestis that the game gives you reign over how to arrive at the finish line. Want todestroy everything in your path? That’s totally fine. Want to race cleanly while everyone around you destroys the bejeezus out of each other? That’s fine as well.

Another great thing about the game is there aren’t just a couple of AI drivers who drive like maniacs and always finish on the podium; everyone can win here. This removes the pressure of always having to finish among the top three to win a championship, allowing you to let loose when you want, crash into everyone, finish eighth in one race, and still win the trophy at the end.

The game includes regular races but also all kinds of demolition derby events, such as, well, demolition derbies, banger oval and figure-of-eight races, and weirdly unique events like one when you have to survive against a horde of buses while driving a Reliant Robin-like car that’s anything but stable and sturdy.

7FlatOut 2

Speaking ofFlatOut 2, did you know the game is still available on Steam? If you ask me, it’s an absolute must-have for Steam Deck owners. I finished it a couple of years ago on my Deck, and I had tons of fun, like every other time I’ve played it in the 19 years since the game came out (I’m old, I know).

Aside from the gameplay itself, the best thing aboutFlatOut 2is the banger soundtrack that includes bands likeWolfmother(who I heard first in this game),Audioslave, Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Rise Against, andUnderoath, among others. This is why I always recommend this one overFlatOut Ultimate Carnage(basically a remaster ofFlatOut 2).Ultimate Carnageis fine, but has a much weaker soundtrack.

FlatOut 2is another demolition derby-themed game. But unlikeWreckfest, which has a nice-feeling, simcadey handling model that leans slightly towards simulation,FlatOut 2is pure arcade racing. I love it because I can destroy everything in my path and still finish first at the end. My only nitpick is that once you reach the third, fastest car class, you can’t crash into everyone else anymore and have to watch your driving to finish on the podium.

8Super Woden GP 2

Want to play Gran Turismo 4 but from a top-down perspective? Super Woden GP 2 will grant your wish and then some. You’ll know what I’m talking about as soon as you reach the main menu of the single-player campaign. This is an awesome retro racer with a challenging driving model, a bunch of unique cars to buy, lots of upgrades for every car, and a ton of different tracks to race on.

The campaign will take you at least a couple dozen hours to finish, and the racing can be quite challenging. This is why I don’t recommend this one to casual virtual drivers. The game can be quite punishing, especially early on, because you need to earn stars to advance. At times, earning just enough to get to the next tier can be quite difficult, frustrating even. If you adore a nice challenge, though, you’ll love this one.

9Horizon Chase Turbo

Yearning for an old-school arcade racer but don’t want to deal with emulators? Take a look at theHorizon Chase Turbo, which is basically a 90s arcade racer with a fresh coat of paint. The driving model is pure arcade bliss. All you’ve got to think about is overtaking opponents in front of you while maintaining as high speed as possible during the entirety of each race.

The car selection is decent enough not to get jaded from driving the same wheels over and over again. The track offering is rich, with a great variety of environments but a relatively simple track design. This is actually a strong point here, since you’ll mostly focus on finishing first and pulling off perfect overtakes. Another banger of a racer for your Steam Deck.

10Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered

I remember playingNeed For Speed Hot Pursuitfor the first time. It was so good, such a massive improvement over the blandNFS: Undercover, and a great addition to the 2009NFS: Shift. Those were the golden years of theNeed for Speedfranchise.

Anyway, Criterion outdid themselves here, and the remastered version of the game is just as fun as the original and plays great on the Steam Deck. You’ve got a somewhat limited but meticulously curated selection of cars, great visuals, a superb arcade handling model, and a great campaign that puts you behind the wheel of both race drivers and law enforcement.

Burnout Paradise Remasteredis another banger of an arcade racing game, with some of the best crash animations I’ve ever seen and a huge open-world map to race around. The only issue with these two games is theEA launcher. You’ve been warned.