Drifting Games for PC: Sims, Hybrids and Arcade Picks

Drifting on a PC covers three quite different kinds of game. A simulator models tyres, suspension and differential closely enough that a drift is the same balancing act as in a real car. A drift-focused title builds the whole game around sliding, with handling tuned to keep the car controllable. An arcade or open world racer treats drifting as one scoring mechanic among many. None of these is right for everyone; the real question is how much setup work and hardware you are prepared to bring.

Simulators: where a drift has to be earned

Assetto Corsa

Kunos Simulazioni released Assetto Corsa on Steam in December 2014, and it is the simulator most of our drift guides are written for. The base game already includes a Drift mode, drift challenges and a dedicated drift track. Its depth comes from modification: the developers describe the game as open to considerable customisation and give modders the same editing tools their own team uses. A large body of community cars and tracks has grown up around it, from drift-prepared road cars to mountain roads and drift venues.

The price of that depth is effort. Expect to spend time on differential lock, tyre pressures, steering lock and gearing before a car feels right, and expect a steering wheel to make a large difference compared with a controller. Our Assetto Corsa drift setup guide covers the settings in order, and the guide to mod quality and safety explains how to tell a well-made car from a poor conversion. Large mod collections also need care when the game or the community tools are updated; see managing updates and mods.

Assetto Corsa EVO

Assetto Corsa EVO, the successor from the same studio, has been in Early Access on Steam since 16 January 2025 and reached version 0.9 on 26 August 2026. It runs on a new proprietary Kunos engine, and its content so far is aimed at circuit driving: road cars, classics, hypercars and race cars on laser-scanned tracks. The Steam page lists no dedicated drift mode in Early Access. A Free Roam mode based on the Eifel region around the Nürburgring was revealed on 7 October 2026 without a release date. For drifting today the original Assetto Corsa has far more suitable content; EVO is one to watch as it moves towards version 1.0. Our Assetto Corsa EVO overview describes its current state.

BeamNG.drive

BeamNG.drive takes a different approach. BeamNG describes it as a soft-body physics vehicle simulator in which every component of a vehicle is simulated in real time, so chassis flex and crash damage are part of the model. It has been in Early Access on Steam since May 2015 and ships with a world editor and mod support. The store page does not mention drifting, so treat it as a physics sandbox in which you can practise car control rather than a drift game with scoring and events. More in our BeamNG.drive physics article.

Drift-focused titles

CarX Drift Racing Online

Older articles, including the previous version of this one, called it CarX Drift Racing 2; the PC game on Steam is CarX Drift Racing Online from CarX Technologies, released in November 2017. The store page lists more than 120 cars, 19 official tracks plus community maps through Steam Workshop, more than 50 settings per car, and online rooms that players create themselves, along with a TOP-32 competition mode. Steering wheels are supported, and driving assists are available for controllers and keyboards.

The handling sits between simulation and arcade. It is forgiving enough to drift with a controller, while the tuning menu still changes how the car behaves, which makes it a sensible bridge between casual and simulation drifting.

Japanese Drift Master

Released on Steam on 21 May 2025 by Gaming Factory, Japanese Drift Master is an open world, story-driven drift game set on Japanese mountain roads, with licensed JDM cars and a story told through manga pages. It offers an Arcade handling model for beginners and a Simcade model with all assists off. The store page describes it as designed primarily for gamepads, which is worth knowing if you plan to use a wheel.

Arcade and open world racers

Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5 from Playground Games came to PC in November 2021. Drifting is one activity among many in its open world, and the EventLab toolset lets players build their own races, challenges and game modes. A Formula Drift Pack is sold as downloadable content. Its predecessor, Forza Horizon 4, was removed from the Microsoft Store and Steam on 15 December 2024; existing owners can still download and play it, but it can no longer be bought online.

Need for Speed Unbound

Need for Speed Unbound from Criterion Games was released in December 2022, and its Vol. 7 update reintroduced Drift and Drag modes. Expect arcade handling in which drifting is about style and scoring rather than car control.

Older titles in drift lists

Many drift recommendations still name games such as Need for Speed Heat, Need for Speed Shift or Ridge Racer Unbounded. These are older arcade racers in which sliding is one mechanic among several, not drift games. Check that a game is still sold and supported before buying it for drifting.

Wheel, pedals and handbrake

A controller is enough for the arcade titles and workable in CarX Drift Racing Online or Japanese Drift Master. For Assetto Corsa or BeamNG.drive a force feedback wheel makes the slide readable: the steering goes light as the rear steps out and pulls towards counter-steer, and that is the cue you react to.

Wheel bases differ in how the motor drives the rim. Thrustmaster builds the T300 RS around a brushless motor with a dual-belt system, so it is a belt-driven wheel, not direct drive. The Fanatec CSL DD is a direct drive base, sold with 5 Nm or upgraded to 8 Nm, in which the rim sits on the motor shaft. Direct drive gives faster and more detailed feedback, which helps when catching quick snaps in transitions, but belt and gear wheels are perfectly usable for learning. Our wheel buying guide lists current options by platform and budget, and how much direct drive torque you need explains why more torque is not automatically better.

Drift-specific settings matter as much as the hardware: steering lock, force feedback strength and a separate handbrake. See drift wheel settings and handbrake and sequential shifter choice. For technique, start with our drifting guide and catching oversteer.

Where to start

Controller and little time: Forza Horizon 5 or Need for Speed Unbound, or CarX Drift Racing Online with assists.
Controller, but you want real technique: CarX Drift Racing Online, then the Simcade model in Japanese Drift Master.
Wheel and pedals: Assetto Corsa with a small set of well-made drift cars and one practice track, following the setup guide.
More interested in physics than in scoring: BeamNG.drive.
Circuit racer curious about what comes next: follow the Assetto Corsa EVO updates rather than buying it for drifting now.

Whatever you choose, practise one corner or one figure of eight until it is repeatable before linking corners together. Consistency in a slide is built the same way as consistency in grip driving, as described in consistency training.

Frequently asked questions

Which drifting games for PC are full simulators?

Assetto Corsa and BeamNG.drive. Assetto Corsa has a Drift mode, drift challenges and a large mod scene; BeamNG.drive simulates soft-body physics but has no drift scoring listed on its store page.

Is CarX Drift Racing 2 available on PC?

On Steam the PC game is called CarX Drift Racing Online. It was released in November 2017 and supports both controllers and steering wheels.

Can I still buy Forza Horizon 4?

No. It was removed from the Microsoft Store and Steam on 15 December 2024. Owners can still download and play it; Forza Horizon 5 is the Horizon game sold on PC.

Do I need a wheel to drift on PC?

Not for arcade titles or for CarX Drift Racing Online with assists, and Japanese Drift Master is designed primarily for gamepads. For Assetto Corsa a force feedback wheel makes a large difference.

Does Assetto Corsa EVO have a drift mode?

Its Steam page listed no dedicated drift mode in Early Access on 18 October 2026. For simulation drifting, the original Assetto Corsa remains the better choice for now.