The Best Sports Video Games to Play in 2022

Professional sports have become very big business. Several of the world’s biggest leagues are worth tens of billions of dollars, with some even more. Much of this success has come from the fact that fans love to feel close to their favourite athletes and teams, so buy merchandise, season tickets, and streaming subscriptions.

In more recent years, video games have also become a popular choice among sports fans as they allow them to step into the virtual shoes of their favourite athletes and recreate the action that they see in real life. Many also back their teams by placing bets on sites like William Hill, taking advantage of the free bet offers that these bookmakers offer.

The size and quality of sports video games has really ballooned over the last decade or so as developers have been given more resources and tools to exploit. But not all games are created equal, some are mediocre while others are smash hits that you can enjoy for hundreds of hours.

If you’re in the market for one of these exciting sports video games, here are some of the best options available to you in 2022.

F1 Manager 2022

Formula 1 fans have been treated to a range of different video games in recent years. In addition to the annual simulation blockbuster from Codemasters, petrolheads have also been able to enjoy an arcade title known as F1 Clash, a mobile racing game, and a “predicter” game where you have to forecast the events of upcoming Grands Prix.

But fans have been crying out for a management game for several years now. Back in 2000, EA created one that was based on the 1999 season that was popular but no sequels were ever released.

2022 will change this, with F1 Manager going on sale this summer. When released, players will step into the shoes of big names like Toto Wolf and Christian Horner rather than Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen.

Designed to be as realistic as possible, the game will allow players to make strategy decisions, develop their cars, and make hiring decisions. The graphics are on par with that of the racing title that was released in late June, making it one of the most realistic sports management games on the market.

Nintendo Switch Sports

Although not a simulation game, Wii Sports became one of the most popular sports titles ever created. In fact, it’s actually one of the best-selling video games of all time, but this is down to the fact that it shipped with every Wii console sold.

The game was originally designed to be a demonstration of the motion tracking features of the console’s Wii Remote, but it became a cult classic of its own.

More than a decade later, Nintendo has created a sequel to Wii Sports. The snappy name, Nintendo Switch Sports and box art are very much in keeping with the original version, as are the cartoon graphics (though they are upgraded).

Also, like Wii Sports, Nintendo Switch Sports has been designed to get you up and active in front of your TV by using the controllers to track how you move and then recreating this on screen.

In addition to the popular sports from the previous games, including tennis and bowling, the new release also features football/soccer, volleyball, and badminton. In some instances, players have to strap the controller to themselves to allow for proper movement tracking for these games to work properly.

These minigames are incredibly easy to pick up and are best enjoyed with others, so if you have friends round, Nintendo Switch Sports is a great way to have fun together.

Roller Champions

Free-to-play sports games often receive a lot of criticism among players who believe they’re being nagged to buy in-game items at every possible moment. Roller Champions, however, breaks this mould.

Although it is free-to-play, it’s almost universally liked by players who enjoy its unique theme and fun gameplay functionality.

It’s a unique title that borrows elements from a few different sports to create a fun and exciting challenge. You compete as part of a three-person team against another, with each player on rollerskates.

Your task is to acquire possession of the ball and then skate around a roller derby track. The more laps you complete, the more points you score. Your opponents will be trying to tackle you to gain possession while your opponents will be attempting to protect you.

It’s a completely novel concept and one that’s guaranteed to give you hours of fun.

Gran Turismo 7

Gran Turismo is a leader in racing simulation games. It’s so accurate, in fact, that some of its most talented esports players have gone on to race in real-world competitions, such as the Le Mans 24 Hours.

With the release of the PlayStation 5, Sony has created a new and upgraded version of its legendary franchise.

It first went on sale in March 2022 and has enjoyed several major upgrades since. It’s been widely praised by critics, though some players have since criticised it for having an aggressive microtransaction model.

That said, Gran Turismo 7 still contains much of the same gameplay functionality that made the franchise so successful, most notably the single player campaign mode.

On the PlayStation 5, the game takes its realism to a new level. Firstly it uses the console’s real-time ray tracing hardware to make the best-looking racing simulation available on Sony devices.

It goes further than that though. The DualSense controller’s haptic feedback functionality provides a better understanding of what the car is doing. The change in vibration lets you know about the feel of track surface but also the behaviour of the driver aids like anti-lock brakes and traction control. Sadly, this feature is missing from the PS4 version.

In addition to this realism and traditional functionality, there are also great multiplayer modes for when you want to test your driving skills against millions of other players from around the world. There are a few other sports video games to check out this year, but the ones described above should be your first choice, as they'll provide you with hours of exciting gameplay.