Five mobile racers worth your storage this year

Racing is where mobile hardware has really caught up, and the current crop of games proves it. We rounded up the ones we keep returning to, with a focus on handling first and graphics second.

Neon Drift Circuit leads the pack for pure arcade fun. Its drift-chaining system turns every corner into a decision, and it's the one we fire up when we want a quick burst of speed. The tilt controls are solid, but on-screen steering gives you more precision for tight tracks.

If you want something more deliberate, there are sim-style racers that model grip and tire wear, though they ask more from your fingers. We'd steer newcomers toward the arcade end first — the fun-to-frustration ratio is just friendlier.

Our advice for any racer: spend five minutes in the control settings before you judge a game. The difference between tilt, touch, and button steering can completely change how a title feels. Half the racers people dismiss are just misconfigured.