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| ▶ Disclosure: iRacing Studios provided an early review copy of NASCAR 26. It did not affect our verdict. |
I got my hands on iRacing's NASCAR 26 a few days early and put in a solid stretch with it. A few hours the first afternoon, more that night, and another session early the next morning before heading to work.
That is enough laps to form a real opinion on where iRacing Studios' second attempt at the NASCAR license lands.
First real impressions: it is a genuine step up from NASCAR 25, though a few of last year's issues are still riding shotgun.
No crashes. No stuttering. No hardware hiccups. That might sound like a low bar, but if you remember how rough NASCAR 25 was at launch, getting a clean install that just works is worth calling out on its own.
The menu system will feel familiar if you played last year's game, the bones are the same, but everything feels more polished this time around, with cleaner navigation and less friction getting from the main menu into a race.
As for the actual racing, every track I tried delivered. I will be upfront: I am not a sim racer and never claimed to be. But NASCAR 26 does exactly what it sets out to do, deliver accessible, fun stock car racing without demanding the full commitment of a hardcore simulator.
The lighting and car models are noticeably better than last year. Cars have a more vibrant sheen now, like a fresh coat of wax that actually gleams when it catches the sun.
Both interior and exterior camera views are included, which is a nice touch for switching up your perspective lap to lap.
That said, there is only so far graphics can go in a racing game when the asphalt is, well, always gray. This is not a leap over NASCAR 25, it is a clear step. Given how quickly iRacing Studios turned this around, that is a reasonable place to land.
The biggest addition here is full cross play between PC and console, covering PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Log into the online multiplayer menu and you are in, no separate queues to worry about.
I got my copy early, so the online population was thin at first, but once the game officially released, lobbies filled up fast with a healthy mix of racers.
You can tell who is on what platform by the Steam and console icons tagged next to each server, a small detail that goes a long way for transparency.
Here is the recurring issue: racing still bunches everyone into one long line for the entire race distance. Even 10 to 12 laps in, the field is still running nose to tail like a train instead of spreading out into realistic racing groups.
Bumping up the AI difficulty helps push leaders into more believable track position, but more often than not, races still look like one long caterpillar crawling around the oval rather than a dynamic, shifting field.
It is not a deal breaker, but it is the same core AI pacing complaint that has dogged this series before, and it is the one thing keeping NASCAR 26 from feeling like a complete leap forward.
| ▶ NASCAR 26 is a confident, polished improvement over NASCAR 25, with stable performance, better visuals, and genuinely valuable cross play support. The AI pack racing behavior is still the sore spot, and until that is addressed, races will keep looking more like a conga line than true stock car competition. It is still a good game, and an easy recommendation if you enjoyed last year's entry or want an accessible NASCAR experience without the full sim racing commitment. |
| Pros | Cons |
| Stable and clean at launch, no crashes or stutter | AI still bunches into one long caterpillar line all race |
| Noticeably better lighting and car models | A clear step up in visuals, not a huge leap |
| Full cross play across PC, PS5, and Xbox | Thin online population until wider release |
| Accessible fun without a hardcore sim commitment | Same AI pacing issue that has dogged the series |
| ▶ Review Score | ▶ 3.5 out of 5 |
Does NASCAR 26 support cross play between PC and console?
Yes. Cross play is fully supported across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S through the online multiplayer menu, and servers display icons showing whether racers are on Steam or console.
Is NASCAR 26 better than NASCAR 25?
Yes, in terms of graphics, lighting, menu polish, and stability. It is a clear step up, though not a massive leap.
Does NASCAR 26 fix the AI pack racing issue from previous games?
Not fully. AI cars still tend to bunch into a single line for most of the race, even late in longer events. Raising the AI difficulty helps but does not eliminate it.
Are interior and exterior camera views available?
Yes, both are included.
Who developed NASCAR 26?
iRacing Studios, in what is their second NASCAR console game after NASCAR 25.
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