MXGP 26 | PS5 Review

Hot on the heels of another racing game, Nascar ’26, I was offered the opportunity to review MXGP 26: The Official Game. Being a fan of racing in general and loving to turn on the motocross races whenever I find them on TV, I knew this was a match made in heaven. But I have to admit that my expectations were pretty low going in.

A few years ago, an earlier version of MXGP was offered as one of the monthly free games through PS Plus. It was janky, the controls were awful, and the difficulty was absolutely pummeling. I think I lasted about ten minutes before asking my son to play it just to make sure it wasn’t a “me” problem. He hated it just as much. So when I was offered the opportunity to review MXGP 26, I wasn’t exactly expecting much. But it was a racing game, and I really wanted to give it another shot.

Thankfully, MXGP 26 quickly proved that a lot can change in a few years. The game recreates the excitement of each racing weekend exquisitely, from the roar of the bikes to the dirt flying off the tires. But it is the feeling of actually being on the bike that makes MXGP 26 stand out. The combination of realistic track conditions, responsive controls, and the sheer danger of having an entire field of motorcycles funnel toward the first turn creates an adrenaline rush that is difficult to replicate. 

Race Weekend

One of the things I enjoyed most about MXGP 26 is how it captures the atmosphere of an entire racing weekend. You aren’t simply jumping from one race to the next. Practice sessions give you time to learn the track and get comfortable with the bike, qualifying determines where you will start, and then comes the main event.

That progression makes each race feel like it has some buildup behind it. By the time the starting gate drops, you’ve already spent time learning the track and preparing for the race ahead.

There is also a surprising amount of customization available when setting up your rider and bike. You can choose your manufacturer, colors, engine size, and team. The engine size also determines whether you are racing in the junior league or the pro league, giving you a clear path through the different levels of competition.

And then there is the start.

When the starting gate drops and an entire field of bikes charges toward the first turn, there is a genuine sense of danger. Watching a full field funnel toward the same corner is terrifying in the best possible way. One mistake can send you or another rider flying, and those opening seconds create an adrenaline rush that never really gets old.

Hold On Tight 

The controls are where MXGP 26 really starts to feel like a dirt bike simulator. The throttle is controlled using the shoulder buttons, which gives you a surprising amount of control over how much power you are putting down. It takes some getting used to, but once you learn to feather the throttle, it becomes an important part of controlling the bike.

The dirt itself is also more than just a surface to race across. The tires dig into the grooves and ruts, and sometimes the bike gets pulled in a direction you weren’t expecting. You have to compensate with the controls and fight to keep the bike pointed where you want it to go. It can be frustrating when it catches you by surprise, but that is also what makes it feel realistic. A real dirt bike doesn’t simply go wherever you tell it to go, and MXGP 26 does a good job recreating that feeling.

Even the dirt being thrown from the tires adds to the realism. Sometimes it sticks to the edges of the screen after another bike passes by. It never blocks your view or makes the race more difficult, but it is a fun little reminder of what it would be like to spend your day covered in dirt while riding a motorcycle around a track.

I didn’t notice any meaningful bike degradation during my races. That could be because I simply didn’t notice it, because it is tied to a higher difficulty setting, or because it isn’t part of the experience. Honestly, I’m not sure I would consider that a major omission. Adding mechanical degradation could have made the racing feel unnecessarily punishing, especially for players who simply want to enjoy the motocross experience. In this case, what I initially thought might be missing may actually have been a wise design choice.

Dirt, Jumps & Déjà Vu

The track design is excellent. There is plenty of variation in elevation, jumps, banked turns, hairpins, and changes in the dirt that keep you busy throughout a race. Learning how each track flows and figuring out where you can push the bike makes every course feel like its own challenge.

The problem is that there are only so many ways to arrange banked turns, hairpins, jumps, and changes in elevation before they start feeling familiar. After enough races, I sometimes felt like I was racing the same race with a slightly different coat of dirt.

Of course, I realize how ridiculous that criticism sounds coming from someone who just praised Nascar ’26, where I spend roughly ninety percent of my time driving around a counter-clockwise circle. I do not know what’s wrong with me, sometimes.

There is also a short video before every race that sets the stage for the event. It is only around twenty seconds long, so it isn’t a huge problem, but it cannot be skipped. After a few races, watching the same sequence again starts to become noticeable. When you’re eager to get back on the bike, those twenty seconds can feel a lot longer than they actually are.

Dirt Never Looked So Good     

One area where MXGP 26 deserves some serious praise is the presentation. The bikes look fantastic, the tracks are packed with detail, and the dirt looks and behaves like an important part of the racing rather than something painted underneath the bikes. You can even see other bikes in the distance hitting jumps on another part of the track. Hopefully, those bikes are behind you and not that far ahead!

The sound is just as impressive. The engines have the kind of aggressive growl you would expect from a motocross bike, and the combination of engine noise, tires digging into the dirt, and bikes flying past you creates an excellent sense of speed and danger. Put on a good pair of headphones and the sound does a great job of putting you in the middle of the race.

The attention to detail extends to the smaller touches, too. That dirt that I mentioned earlier that flies from the tires and sticks to the edges of the screen may not change how you race, but those details add to the feeling that you are actually participating in a messy, chaotic dirt bike race.

Final Verdict – MXGP 26

MXGP 26 does a fantastic job recreating the excitement and danger of motocross racing. The controls give you plenty of influence over the bike, the dirt reacts in ways that can force you to compensate on the fly, and the opening rush toward the first corner can be downright terrifying.

The track design and presentation are excellent, although the familiar combination of jumps, turns, and hairpins can eventually make races feel a little too similar. The unskippable pre-race video is also an unnecessary annoyance.

Those complaints aside, I had a great time with MXGP 26. The racing feels authentic, the bikes sound fantastic, and the little touches of realism make this one of those games where you can almost feel the dirt flying at you.

To hear me talk more about MXGP 26, be sure to listen to the October 6th, 2026 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast.

This review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy of MXGP 26 provided by Renaissance PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on Xbox and PC.