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Need for Speed: Shift

26 Games like Need for Speed: Shift on Xbox that you should try

Games like Need for Speed: Shift · Find similar →

We filtered the 50 games similar to Need for Speed: Shift down to the 26 that fit the “Xbox” category. Assetto Corsa Competizione, Project CARS 2 and The Crew™ 2 top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to Need for Speed: Shift.

NextGameLike75/ 100

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GenreSimulationSubgenreVehicle SimSub-subgenreSim Racing
Tags
SoloMultiplayer
Year 2009Dev Electronic Arts

Quick answer

Within the “Xbox” category, the closest game to Need for Speed: Shift is Assetto Corsa Competizione — scoring 87/100 on our similarity scale. Project CARS 2 and The Crew™ 2 follow close behind.

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The best games like Need for Speed: Shift on Xbox

26 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Need for Speed: Shift. Each one has been evaluated across 8 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

1

Assetto Corsa Competizione

87
NGL80
Assetto Corsa Competizione
Closest overall match
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2018Dev Kunos Simulazioni · 505 GamesPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

If Need for Speed: Shift worked for you because of exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and single-player focus, the same is here. Both also lean on a third-person camera. What it adds of its own: sports simulation.

Released 9 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100Game mode100World100Progression100Visuals100
2

Project CARS 2

87
NGL80
Project CARS 2
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2017Dev Slightly Mad Studios · Bandai Namco EntertainmentPlaytime ~4hOn PC · PS · Xbox

What brings it close to Need for Speed: Shift is exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and single-player focus, and the two track each other on genre, game mode and world. Both also lean on a first-person view. What it adds of its own: sports simulation.

Released 8 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100Game mode100World100Progression100Visuals100
3

The Crew™ 2

83
NGL65
The Crew™ 2
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
MultiplayerSoloOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2018Dev Ubisoft · Ubisoft EntertainmentPlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

It shares the essentials of what Need for Speed: Shift does: exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and multiplayer gameplay. Both also lean on a first-person view. What it adds of its own: melee combat and co-op play.

Released 9 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100World100Progression100Visuals100Game mode76
4

Car Mechanic Simulator 2018

80
NGL81
Car Mechanic Simulator 2018
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExplorationFirst Person
Year 2017Dev Red Dot Games · PlayWayPlaytime ~6hOn PC · PS · Xbox

The genre is the same as Need for Speed: Shift’s, and with it exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and single-player focus. To that it adds a first-person view. They part company on progression and world: this one brings a sandbox world and crafting mechanics.

Released 8 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals72World58Progression38
5

Forza Horizon 5

79
NGL90
Forza Horizon 5
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2021Dev Playground Games · Xbox Game StudiosPlaytime ~15hOn PC · PS · Xbox

Genre puts it alongside Need for Speed: Shift, and so does exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and single-player focus. To that it adds a first-person view. They part company on game mode and progression: this one brings co-op play and skill tree progression.

Released 12 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100World100Visuals100Progression66Game mode55
6

SnowRunner

79
NGL85
SnowRunner
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
MultiplayerSoloOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2020Dev Saber Interactive · Focus EntertainmentOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

It meets Need for Speed: Shift on exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and multiplayer gameplay. To that it adds a first-person view. They part company on world: this one brings a sandbox world.

Released 11 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100Progression100Visuals100Game mode71World48
7

Forza Motorsport

78
NGL68
Forza Motorsport
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
MultiplayerSoloOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2023Dev Turn 10 Studios · Xbox Game StudiosOn Xbox · PC

Genre puts it alongside Need for Speed: Shift, and so does exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and multiplayer gameplay. The common ground extends to a first-person view. Where the two diverge is progression and game mode: co-op play and resource management.

Released 14 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100World100Visuals100Game mode57Progression29
8

The Crew™

78
NGL61
The Crew™
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2014Dev Ubisoft Reflections · Ubisoft EntertainmentPlaytime ~16hOn PC · PS · Xbox

If Need for Speed: Shift worked for you because of exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and single-player focus, the same is here. Both also lean on a third-person camera. The distance is in game mode — its own ground is co-op play.

Released 5 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100World100Progression100Visuals100Game mode50
9

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit

78
NGL83
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2010Dev Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

If Need for Speed: Shift worked for you because of exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and single-player focus, the same is here. To that it adds a third-person camera. They part company on game mode: this one brings PvP competition.

Same studio: Electronic Arts.

Genre100World100Progression100Visuals100Game mode48
10

Riders Republic

77
NGL75
Riders Republic
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExplorationThird PersonFirst Person
Year 2021Dev Ubisoft · Ubisoft EntertainmentPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

It shares the essentials of what Need for Speed: Shift does: exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and single-player focus. Both also lean on a third-person camera. The distance is in game mode — its own ground is co-op play.

Released 12 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100World100Progression100Visuals100Game mode45
11

Forza Horizon 4

77
NGL91
Forza Horizon 4
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2018Dev Playground Games · Microsoft StudiosPlaytime ~13hOn PC · Xbox

What brings it close to Need for Speed: Shift is exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and single-player focus, and the two track each other on genre, world and progression. Both also lean on a first-person view. The distance is in game mode — its own ground is co-op play.

Released 9 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100World100Progression100Visuals100Game mode43
12

MudRunner

77
NGL85
MudRunner
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2017Dev Saber Interactive · Focus EntertainmentOn PS4 · Android · PC

On paper it is what Need for Speed: Shift is — exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and single-player focus — though the resemblance is mostly at that level. The common ground extends to a first-person view. Where the two diverge is world and game mode: a sandbox world and co-op play.

Released 8 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100Progression100Visuals100Game mode62World45
13

F1® 23

75
NGL83
F1® 23
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerOpen WorldFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2023Dev Codemasters · Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~8hOn PC · PS · Xbox

With Need for Speed: Shift it shares open world exploration, single-player focus and a first-person view. The distance is in game mode — its own ground is co-op play.

Released 14 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100World100Visuals78Game mode54
14

MX vs. ATV Reflex

74
NGL71
MX vs. ATV Reflex
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerOpen WorldExplorationOffline
Year 2009Dev THQ NordicPlaytime ~1hOn PC · Xbox · Nintendo

What carries over from Need for Speed: Shift is exploration and discovery, open world exploration, and single-player focus. Where the two diverge is game mode: offline play.

Genre100World100Progression100Game mode67
15

Forza Motorsport 6

74
NGL86
Forza Motorsport 6
SimulationVehicle SimSim Racing
SoloMultiplayerFirst PersonThird Person
Year 2015Dev Turn 10 Studios · Microsoft StudiosOn Xbox

With Need for Speed: Shift it shares single-player focus and a first-person view. Its own ground is sports simulation.

Released 6 years after Need for Speed: Shift.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100

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Rankings in the same genre

Sometimes what you want is not a Need for Speed: Shift look-alike but simply the best Sim Racing Games there are. That is what these rankings are for: no comparison to anything, just the highest-rated games. And if you feel like widening the net, the Simulation Games ranking is a good way to run into something you were not expecting.