If you like to tear up the tarmac on your Xbox One, then you're in luck — there are some great racing games available for Microsoft's console!

Racing games aren't for everyone, but for those who love them, often little else will do. Here we're taking a look at the very best that racing fans can get their hands on for the Xbox One.

Forza Horizon 3

Forza has long set a visual standard on the Xbox, and none of that changes with the latest in the Horizon series. Developed by Playground Games and using the shared ForzaTech engine that also powers Forza 6, what we have here is something very, very special. Set in Australia this time around, Horizon 3 looks better than its predecessors while taking in a world twice as large and diverse.

The sky is a giant light source that touches everything beneath it, the cars are meticulously crafted and the racing content is as varied as you'll find in any game on any platform. Where Forza 6 is one for track fanatics, Forza Horizon 3 is the racing game for everybody.

It's absolutely magnificent and a must play. It's also an Xbox Play Anywhere title, meaning digital versions also unlock the game for cross-play on Windows 10.

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Forza Motorsport 6

The king is back. Forza 5 represented a misstep with a serious lack of content but that's all been forgotten for its successor. Forza 6 is the best all-round racing game on the Xbox One today. More serious sim racers will still go for Project Cars (or avoid consoles entirely), but Forza 6 is the most complete, accessible racing title yet.

460 cars, 26 circuits, night racing, rain, 24 cars in each race and a revamped multiplayer system that makes it less daunting to beginners are all part of what makes this game so great.

Besides all that you get stunning graphics at 1080p, a super solid 60fps frame rate and a perfect balance of realism and good old fashioned fun and playability. It celebrates 10 years of the franchise on Xbox and it does it in some style.

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Project Cars

Project Cars is a racing title in a similar vein to Microsoft's own Forza Motorsport series. But while Forza Motorsport 5 was a disappointment for a few key reasons, Project Cars is nothing of the sort. It didn't have an easy birth, with a number of delays leading up to its eventual launch proving frustrating for eager Xbox racers.

It's big, it's ambitious and it's absolutely gorgeous. Forza may have the edge on the visuals, but Project Cars is still a looker. It's had to tone down to 900p, however, in order to achieve 60fps. You get 16 cars on track at once, a decent variety of cars to race around in, and a fantastic selection of real world circuits.

It's the circuits which are probably the star of the show. Project Cars doesn't just have the big, famous tracks like Silverstone, Dubai, Le Mans, but it also has some less well known tracks, like Cadwell Park in the UK. And if you want a challenge, definitely head to Cadwell. It's a circuit best known for motorcycle racing since it's very narrow, technical and challenging,

The early days of Project Cars were dogged by bugs, but most of those seem to have been ironed out now. For folks looking for a dose of realism, it's one to go for.

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F1 2016

If you're a fan of the world's premiere single-seater series, F1 2016 is a continuation of the Codemasters series that's packed with all the licensing you could shake a stick at. Every circuit on the F1 calendar is represented, all the current teams, drivers and liveries, and it's the closest most of us will ever get to the real thing.

While the 2015 edition missed a few tricks, 2016 is the real coming of age for the series. It's jam packed with all the glitz and glamor that fans could want, and is accessible for casual racers to jump in and have a good time. For the more adventurous, there's a whole raft of things in there to make the experience as challenging, and as realistic as you'll get right now on a console.

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Dirt 4

After Dirt Rally comes Dirt 4, a proper sequel and while much is the same as the 2016 release, there's just more of it. And more fun to go with it.

You can try and be realistic or you can tame things down a little, it's your choice. But you've multiple race types, many different vehicles and some pretty nasty weather to master. Classic Rally, Rallycross and off-road racing all join traditional rallying to make Dirt 4 a huge package of sideways fun.

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Riptide GP: Renegade

The latest jet ski racer from Vector Unit continues everything that has made the series so good to date. It's affordable, packed with content and this time around it's Xbox Play Anywhere. Which makes it insanely good value.

Jam packed with new circuits, racers and single player challenges, Renegade also has a pretty solid multiplayer mode for you to take on the world. It's a different kind of racing, but it's enormous fun.

See at Microsoft

Updated July 13, 2017: Dirt 4 has made it into our list of best racing games, replacing 2016's Dirt Rally.