The Right Video Game Gifts for Car Lovers Who Never Play
Table of Contents
Start with the screen they already own
The best video game gifts for car lovers are useless on the wrong console, so check what they own first.
If they have a PlayStation or Xbox
A PS5 points to Gran Turismo 7; an Xbox Series X|S or PC points to Forza Horizon 6. If they’d rather fix cars than drive them, Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 runs on both.
If they have a Switch, a smart TV or nothing
A Switch points to art of rally or SnowRunner; no console means the limited cloud route in Section 5. Unsure? A gift card for their console’s store is the safe fallback. If they already game, see our car games sorted by what you actually love about cars.
ℹ️ Age & Spend Note: All five picks are rated E by the ESRB. Gran Turismo 7 and Forza Horizon 6 list In-Game Purchases and Users Interact — check Gran Turismo 7’s ESRB rating summary and the ESRB’s parents’ guide to Forza Horizon 6 before gifting to a teen. Cloud play is billed monthly and capped in hours.
The quick answer: one game per console
One clear car-game gift for every type of screen and player.
The one-line answer
On a PS5, buy Gran Turismo 7; on an Xbox Series X|S or PC, Forza Horizon 6; for someone who’d rather fix cars than race them, Car Mechanic Simulator 2021. Switch owners get art of rally or SnowRunner. None needs a racing wheel.
All five picks side by side
| Game | Platforms | Price | Length (main) | Good if they… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Turismo 7 | PS5, PS4 | $69.99 PS5 digital | ~25.5 hrs | love car history |
| Forza Horizon 6 | Xbox Series X|S, PC | $69.99; in Game Pass Ultimate | ~27 hrs | want to cruise |
| Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 | PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC | $24.99 Steam / $29.99 PS Store | ~24 hrs | prefer fixing to driving |
| SnowRunner | PS, Xbox, PC, Switch, Switch 2 | $29.99 Steam / $39.99 eShop | ~83 hrs | love trucks and 4x4s |
| art of rally | Switch, PS, Xbox, PC, phones | $24.99 | ~16.5 hrs | want short and calm |
Prices checked 17 October 2026. Lengths are HowLongToBeat community estimates.
⏱️ Verified 17 October 2026: Prices, sales, and subscription catalogues change constantly. Confirm on the storefront before you buy.
If they have a PS5 or an Xbox: the two big ones
These cover most households, and each has a catch.
Gran Turismo 7
Platforms: PS5, PS4 · Price: $69.99 PS5 digital (verified 17 Oct 2026) · Length: ~25.5 hrs · Mode: single-player, 2-player split-screen, online · Rating: ESRB E.
Built for someone who loves car history, not lap times.
Its car museum and GT Café menus build a garage of famous models with their stories. Music Rally, a checkpoint mode set to music, asks for no racing skill.
Who it’s not for: anyone with patchy internet — the campaign, GT Café and Scapes need a PlayStation Network connection.
[Researched — ESRB, PlayStation Store, HowLongToBeat, launch reporting]
Forza Horizon 6
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC; PS5 on 26 Jan 2027 · Price: $69.99 Standard (verified 17 Oct 2026); in Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass · Length: ~27 hrs · Mode: single-player, online · Rating: ESRB E.
For someone whose favourite drive has no finish line.
An open world set in Japan with street racing and car meets, so they can just drive real models. One purchase covers Xbox and PC, per the official Forza Horizon 6 FAQ.
Who it’s not for: PS5 owners before 26 January 2027, and Xbox One owners.
[Researched — official Forza FAQ, ESRB, HowLongToBeat]
Already own it? Try these open-world driving games like Forza Horizon.
For the one who’d rather fix it than race it
Plenty of car people never cared about racing — they care how cars work.
Car Mechanic Simulator 2021
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC — not Switch · Price: $24.99 Steam, $29.99 PlayStation Store (verified 17 Oct 2026) · Length: ~24 hrs · Mode: single-player · Rating: ESRB E.
The gift for the car person whose weekends happen in a garage.
They diagnose the fault, strip the car, order parts and rebuild it — 72+ cars, 4,000+ parts, rusty barn finds included. No reflexes needed: the knowledge they already have is the skill it rewards.
Who it’s not for: anyone who mainly wants speed; driving is a small part of it.
[Researched — Steam, PlayStation Store, HowLongToBeat, publisher description]
SnowRunner
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC, Switch, Switch 2 · Price: $29.99 Steam, $39.99 eShop (verified 17 Oct 2026) · Length: ~83 hrs · Mode: single-player or online co-op up to 4; no cross-play since Nov 2025 · Rating: ESRB E.
For the truck and 4×4 person — getting there is the game.
Licensed Ford, Chevrolet and Freightliner trucks push through mud, snow and rivers with snorkels and tyre chains. Nobody races you; the terrain is the opponent.
Who it’s not for: anyone wanting short sessions — it’s long and deliberately slow.
[Researched — Steam, Nintendo eShop, HowLongToBeat, publisher description]
No PlayStation or Xbox? Two routes that still work
A Switch, phone or recent smart TV can still carry a car game.
art of rally (Switch, phone, everything)
Platforms: Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC, iOS, Android · Price: $24.99 Steam and PlayStation Store (verified 17 Oct 2026) · Length: ~16.5 hrs · Mode: single-player · Rating: ESRB E.
Classic-era rally from above, without the difficulty wall.
A top-down view and beginner-friendly driving options make classic rally cars manageable, on stages from Finland to Kenya. It’s the pick a non-gamer is likeliest to finish.
Who it’s not for: anyone wanting photo-real cars or a cockpit view.
[Researched — Steam, ESRB, HowLongToBeat]
The no-console route: cloud on a smart TV
Xbox Cloud Gaming streams Game Pass games to select Samsung and LG TVs and Fire TV devices with a controller. Check a game’s Xbox page for cloud support first.
From November 2026, cloud play is capped at 5, 10 or 15 hours a month by plan, per Xbox’s Game Pass plan page; Ultimate is reported at $22.99 a month. That’s a taster, not a hobby — compare which car games each Game Pass tier includes.
The one to skip: Forza Motorsport
Why it’s on other gift lists
Forza Motorsport is a big-name licensed circuit racer that car-site gift guides still recommend.
Why it’s a poor gift now
In December 2025 Turn 10 said it had no plans for new cars, tracks, features or regular bug fixes; servers stay online. It’s also built around shaving lap times — the least forgiving thing to hand a non-gamer. Buy Forza Horizon 6 instead.
How we picked, and what to check before you buy
How we chose
We matched games to kinds of car person and excluded anything needing a wheel or gaming experience. None of the five was played for this article.
Three things that change soon
- Forza Horizon 6 reaches PS5 on 26 January 2027 — see car games that made the jump between PS5 and Xbox.
- Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 is digital-only, and Horizon games get delisted over time.
- Car Mechanic Simulator 2026 is listed on Steam as planned for 2026, PC first.
Car game gift questions, answered
1. Is Gran Turismo 7 good for a beginner?
Yes for car lovers: Music Rally and the GT Café work before racing skill does, though it needs internet.
2. Is Forza Horizon 6 on PS5?
Not yet. Forza Horizon 6 is on Xbox Series X|S and PC; the PS5 version is dated 26 January 2027.
3. Is Forza Horizon 5 still a good gift?
On PS5 it works for now, but Forza Horizon 5 is digital-only there and Horizon games get delisted.
4. Is Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 on Switch?
No. Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 is on PlayStation, Xbox and PC; Switch owners should look at SnowRunner instead.
5. Do car game gifts need a racing wheel?
No. Every car game gift here plays on a standard controller — see our sim racing controller picks later.
6. Can they play car games without a console?
Some, via Xbox Cloud Gaming on select Samsung, LG and Fire TV devices, capped at 5–15 hours monthly.
7. Which car game here is shortest?
Art of rally, at about 16.5 hours for the main career by HowLongToBeat’s community estimate.
8. Is SnowRunner co-op?
Yes. SnowRunner supports online co-op for up to four players, but cross-play ended in November 2025.
9. Are these car games OK for teenagers?
All five car games are rated ESRB E; two include in-game purchases. Set spending limits in the console’s parental controls first.
10. Game or gift card?
A gift card is safer when you’re unsure what they own, but it only works on that console’s store.
The simplest way to get it right
Match the console, then the kind of car person. Our one committed pick: Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 — the only gift here where their car knowledge is the skill, on PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
