Nvidia and AMD routinely launch new graphics cards; however, Steam’s hardware survey highlights that most gamers are clinging to older GPUs. For a large part of the population, this limits the number of games they can access if they can't afford the latest cutting-edge technology. Thankfully, gamers saving up for their next custom PC don’t have to miss out on playing games. In fact, there are a multitude of compelling games that run perfectly well on older hardware.
Racing games, in particular, can run well on PCs with modest hardware. We’ve shortlisted eight titles that offer a compelling driving experience and also come with other unique game modes and features. Those with a non-gaming laptop or PC, take note.

15 Best FPS Games for Low-End PCs
First-person shooters usually look and feel better on beastly PCs, but these great FPS games can be enjoyed even on low-end machines.
Low-end PCs are something of an evolving concept, as technology is constantly improving and newer, shinier PC parts redefine what a high-end vs. a low-end PC is each year. For this list, a low-end PC ranges from a Core 2 Duo with integrated graphics to an i5 Intel 4th generation PC with GT 750 or equivalent. None of the games featured here require anything more than that.
Updated January 12, 2025, by Hamza Haq: Racing games have fallen out of favor from the mainstream sphere, with RPGs, open-world games, and shooters taking up much of the industry's attention. But as with any gaming genre that goes overlooked by the big studios, smaller indie developers are always waiting in the wings to take a crack at it, especially if they themselves are fans. For low-end PC owners, this is a blessing in disguise as indie devs typically cater their games to a wider audience, and their games are much more likely to run well on a potato PC than a AAA title.
14 Re-Volt
Nostalgic RC Racing Fun
Re-Volt
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation (Original)
- Released
- January 1, 1999
- Developer
- Acclaim Studios London, Acclaim Studios Teesside
- Minimum CPU Requirements: CPU with 1.8GHz clock speed or better
- Minimum GPU Requirements: 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 9.0c and 256 MB VRAM
Re-Volt delivers a splash of nostalgia as players control remote control cars through a myriad of fun and interesting tracks. The cars must navigate around real-world objects like toys, chairs, tables, and more to reach the finish line. Players can choose from 28 different RCs and race them on 13 tracks spread across museums, supermarkets, and more.
The game has a simple but fun combat system that allows players to collect power-ups like rockets and more to disrupt the opposition. Re-Volt is the least demanding title on this list, and should run well on PCs and non-gaming laptops with old CPUs and GPUs.
13 WRC 7 FIA World Rally Championship
WRC Action for Every PC
- Minimum CPU Requirements: Intel i3 4th Gen, AMD A8
- Minimum GPU Requirements: Nvidia GT 730 / AMD HD 5600
- Available on Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
Fans of the Dirt series will enjoy the WRC 7 FIA World Rally Championship, which is centered around the 2017 World Rally season. The game offers a variety of modes, including a quick match that lets players jump into the action straight away, as well as a career mode, where players start their journey behind the wheel of a rally car as a junior WRC racer.
The game features a range of official cars, beautiful courses, and top-notch physics that make each race more challenging. It also features Epic stages, which comprise long races with around 15 minutes of playtime. While it is designed with the utmost realism in mind, the game does offer assisted controls for novice gamers. Do note that the game is somewhat taxing; however, it should run well on most modern non-gaming laptops, albeit at low graphics settings.
12 Road Redemption
Post-Apocalyptic Biker Chaos
- Minimum CPU Requirements: CPU with 1.4GHz clock speed
- Minimum GPU Requirements: DirectX 9 compatible GPU with 1.5GB VRAM
- Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Android
There are many destruction-focused racing games on this list, but none fit the bill better than Road Redemption. The game takes inspiration from Road Rash, and follows the story of a group of bikers in a post-apocalyptic world. When the leader of a weapons cartel is assassinated, a large bounty is placed on the killer. Players must venture into the enemy territory, hunt down the assassin, and reap the rewards.

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Players don't need the newest hardware to enjoy great open-world games. Here are some of the best titles that work well on low-end systems.
Unlike other racing games on this list, Road Redemption’s campaign has a choice of bikes up for grabs. Players can level up their stats and choose from a range of permanent upgrades that affect their character’s health, strength, and the bike’s performance. The game is designed to work on low-powered machines with 2GB VRAM GPUs.
11 Assetto Corsa
Real Racing, Low Specs
- Minimum CPU Requirements: AMD Athlon X2 2.8 GHZ, Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHZ
- Minimum GPU Requirements: AMD Radeon HD 6450 or Nvidia GeForce GT 460
- Developed by KUNOS-Simulazioni Srl, the game is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One
Assetto Corsa is an incredibly popular racing simulator released in 2013. It aims to provide players with realistic, physics-based car handling, with excellent variations between different types of cars. Everything, from how the tires interact with the asphalt to how temperature changes the way the car moves, is updated in real-time, giving racing buffs a taste of the real thing.
There are over 170 different cars available to players, though a good majority of them are locked behind DLC. A huge selling point of Assetto Corsa is that all cars in the game are true to their real-life counterparts. An F1 car will handle exactly like it would in reality, and handling it like a regular race car will only result in a loss. Assetto Corsa is a game for true racing enthusiasts, and those hoping to jump in for a quick bit of arcade fun should look elsewhere. The biggest reason why Assetto Corsa is the racing simulator to play is the online multiplayer. With an average player count of 15,000 active players, matchmaking is fun, fast, and, most importantly, fair.
10 Descenders
Downhill Racing Redefined
Descenders
-
- Top Critic Rating: 74/100 Critics Recommend: 50%
- Platform(s)
- Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Released
- February 9, 2018
- Developer(s)
- RageSquid
- Minimum CPU Requirements: Intel Core i5
- Minimum GPU Requirements: Nvidia Geforce GTX 550 or equivalent
Descenders is a downhill bike racing game with a twist. Every racing track is randomly generated. When players start a new campaign, the game generates a world map filled with multiple nodes, and each node is a procedurally generated racing course with a unique level design. Players are given the cliff notes of what the track offers, like the steepness level and the curves, but little else. Since each new map is unique, Descenders offers a ton of replay value.
Each track can be completed by simply reaching the finish line, but to earn points, players are encouraged to do stunts like front and backflips. Points can be exchanged for crew members, who provide passive buffs in subsequent tracks. Failing to land a stunt typically results in a wipeout, which counts as a death. Each run allows for a limited number of wipeouts before it fails completely. Descenders' biggest appeal is its ability to convey a very realistic sense of momentum when racing downhill. The feeling of barely managing to control the bike as it hurtles down a steep slope, pulled more by gravity than by the player, is conveyed with stark clarity. On top of that, tracks in Descenders don't have a timer. Points are mainly awarded for performing stunts, which makes it the ideal game for players who enjoy the feeling of dirt rally-style racing but hate being timed.