Review: NASCAR 25 (PlayStation 5)

NASCAR games have struggled to find a footing over the last decade due to what always feels like either a lack of resources to re-create the speed and thrill of the sport accurately or what is likely a small budget with a small release window. With development duties picked up by iRacing, the company behind the virtual NASCAR races that were televised during the COVID lockdown, NASCAR 25 aims to bring the most popular motorsport in the United States back to the forefront of racing simulators.

First things first, the game grabs your attention as soon as it boots. Gamers are greeted with a montage of highlights and lowlights from Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s career. Narrated by Dale Jr. himself, the scenes show the intensity and emotion of a driver who came from legacy, paved his own way into NASCAR history.

One thing I’ve personally gotten frustrated with over the years is the increased complexity of menus in gaming. It seems no matter what I’m playing, when it comes to sports games or shooters, there are a million things to choose from and the standard options are buried. iRacing Studios has changed that by implementing a very clean and very simple menu system. Now some will say the company did so by limiting the amount of features in the game, but all of the options a gamer would expect to find in a sports simulator is there.

In career mode, gamers take on the role of an amateur driver who gets a shot at racing in the ARCA series via a “Discovery Race.” This event gives drivers who finish in high positions a chance to see what they’ve got in the pro circuits. From there, players work their way up through the ranks to Craftsman Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Cup Series.

Once dropped into the game, one thing became apparent: this is a new age of NASCAR games. NASCAR 25 is powered by Unreal Engine 5, a welcome change from the previously used Unity Engine. While there’s nothing wrong with the Unity Engine per se, Unreal Engine 5 brings a level of presentation and functionality that just wasn’t possible in previous NASCAR titles. Frame rates are locked in at 60, which finally gives players the real sense of speed that had been missing in previous titles.

Players who want to go straight for the gold can jump right into Championship mode, which features a full season schedule in any of the four circuits previously mentioned. There’s also a full multiplayer optio,n which features up to 40 players per lobby and can be used for a single race or Championship mode. In any mode mentioned, players can choose from any of today’s roster of drivers or use their own vehicle created in the My Team tab of the main game menu.

Audio in NASCAR 25 is far and away the most accurate depiction of what NASCAR sounds like in years. In past years, the sound of the cars sounded very thin and manufactured. NASCAR 25 features car sounds so authentic that one would swear they were recorded directly from the vehicle. In-race spotters are voiced by T.J. Majors and Josh Williams, who are the real-life spotters for NASCAR Cup Series drivers Shane Van Gisbergen and Brad Keselowski, respectively. Not only did these spotters lend their voices, but they also assisted with development, providing insights and ensuring accuracy.

While on the subject of audio, NASCAR 25 features a soundtrack of 25+ songs that were handpicked by Dale Earnhardt Jr. as well as fans. It’s a mix of both modern artists like Jelly Roll and classic artists such as System of a Down and Chevelle. It’s an eclectic mix and brings another element of the NASCAR vibe to life. It’s a soundtrack gamers won’t want to miss.

The name of the game in NASCAR is driving, and NASCAR 25 features some of the best car physics ever created in a NASCAR game. The cars feel weighty, and the physics feel real. If you’ve got your driving aid settings (these can be found in the game settings) set to normal or above, you can access car setups before and after practices and before qualifying. This opens up a whole new world of car customizations. We’d have to recommend that if gamers plan on using this feature, knowing terms like “wedge” and “camber” will be required knowledge. Making adjustments to the vehicle at this time also changes the physics of the car, and can be felt during gameplay.

While NASCAR 25 is a victory lap for racing simulators and is the truest representation of the sport in a long time, there are some areas of opportunity for the franchise going forward.

First, Career mode is fantastic and very easy to navigate, but it sticks to the racing aspect so much that everything else in it, such as working with your crew chief or PR rep, becomes throwaway, something players will simply click through. It would be great if these characters were fleshed out some more so that it wasn’t so easy to replace them with the push of a button when other potential crew members submit applications.

Secondly, the “track limits” are too inconsistent. This means that on some tracks, going off the track even a little results in a stop-and-go penalty, while on other tracks players can drive off into the grass completely and not get penalized.

NASCAR 25 doesn’t just cross the finish line—it dominates the track. By blending cutting-edge technology with a deep respect for the sport’s legacy, it delivers a thrilling and faithful simulation that both newcomers and longtime fans can appreciate. While a few rough edges remain, they’re easily overshadowed by the game’s impressive polish, immersive gameplay, and sheer adrenaline. NASCAR 25 isn’t just a return—it’s a statement: NASCAR games are back, and future installments will only bring enhancements. If the team at iRacing can flesh the game out some more with a more robust career mode and a few small tweaks, the NASCAR game franchise could be the marquee franchise in the racing genre once again.

Note: There were some concerns during early access of game-breaking bugs such as game crashes, lock-ups, and progression blocks, but we experienced none of that whatsoever in our 10+ hours of gameplay.

NASCAR 25 is available now on Xbox Series S|X and PlayStation 5 for an MSRP of $59.99 for the standard version and $79.99 for the gold edition, which gets players additional paint schemes, additional career finances and reputation points. The game will be released for PC via Steam on November 11.