WRC 10 vs Dirt Rally 2.0: Which is better?

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In this WRC 10 vs Dirt Rally 2.0 video, I take a look at the pros and cons of both to help you decide which to buy.

It was February 2019 when I got my hands on Dirt Rally 2.0. As a big fan of rally, I was excited to play a game that claimed greater realism than ever. In many ways it did raise the bar, but personally I never gelled with it. Nor did I like the lack of force feedback (FFB).

After making 10 YouTube videos, I ended up shelving it – until now. With the WRC 10 release date here, I thought I should revisit Dirt Rally 2.0 to see how these games stack up. Has time been kind and what does the newcomer offer?

Inevitably you will see ‘passionate’ exchanges about which franchise is more realistic. The simple fact is that 99 per cent of players have never been near a rally car – let alone driven one. And when it comes to rally drivers, opinions are mixed. Is there a definitive answer? Probably not.

What does an idiot motoring journalist think, then? Has driving many cars made my opinion more valid? I doubt it. And yet with copies of both games available to me, I thought I would look at some side-by-side footage to compare.

So grab some popcorn and get comfy for I shall be giving my honest, probably too in-depth and potentially completely wrong opinions about WRC 10 and Dirt Rally 2.0. If you benefit from it, be sure to like and subscribe.

WRC 10 vs Dirt Rally 2.0: Gravel

Up first, how does WRC 10 compare with Dirt Rally 2.0 on gravel? To find out, I decided to use the brilliant Finland stages. Unfortunately it is not possible to match like-for-like so I went for a similar vibe.

Pushing hard in the 280 horsepower Fords, the handling difference between both games is at its smallest. Neither experience feels unintuitive or too much like you are gliding on top of the road.

Both games provide a granular surface feel and reduced traction, too, in the form of slower cornering speeds and traction issues when accelerating. Then there is understeer if you brake too much and lock the wheels.

So what is different? Well, driving on gravel in WRC 10 can be more difficult because of the extra front-end grip. Even with input sensitivity down minus 10 you change direction rapidly and can snake all over the road in an oversteer frenzy.

However, oversteer is more easily corrected and you can use the trick of steering with the joystick forward to smooth out the steering. Or use a steering wheel.

There is, as far as I can tell, a fundamental difference between the physics of the cars. WRC 10’s are lighter and more agile, which is what you would expect from a stripped-out, highly tuned piece of engineering.

In Dirt Rally 2.0, things can be slightly cumbersome, overly heavy and rear-weighted. Or the grip coefficient is too low or some surfaces such as gravel are not grippy enough. Maybe all. It is difficult to narrow it down exactly.

Whatever the case, it creates a situation where (particularly in the case of rear-wheel drive cars) it is easy to spin and difficult to handle oversteer. Many drifts are unsavable – and that is not necessarily true in real life but is generally perceived as ‘realism’.

On gravel Dirt Rally 2.0’s reduced intuitiveness is much less apparent in front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive cars, which in some rallies handle noticeably similar to WRC. However, overall Dirt Rally 2.0 feels less natural.

Winner: WRC 10

Tarmac

Next, tarmac. The supposedly weakest surface in Dirt Rally 2.0 and one of the strongest in WRC 8 and onwards. I have chosen two Spanish stages for the tarmac section and the Audi Quattro Group B rally car. Because I remember this being a handful in Dirt 2.0.

And it still is – yes the two cars have nearly double the horsepower difference, but the Dirt 2 interpretation feels radically different in other ways.

That spoiler-laden rear end in Dirt Rally 2.0 feels like a liability. Not in a fun, king of the drifts way. More like, ‘why did someone put a ton of bricks in the boot?’.

If you look at footage of this car on tarmac in real life, it is definitely not afraid of going sideways yet it appears happy to understeer. It even snaps back as the rear wheels regain grip – sometimes more than once in a corner. That is not the case in most rear-wheel drive cars in Dirt Rally 2.0.

Of course, avoiding oversteer, by way of subtle inputs, left-foot braking and more, is realistic. Fine-tuning a setup also helps. However, the Dirt Rally 2.0 Audi glides over tarmac without any real connection. Again, this appears to stem from too little front-end grip or too much weight.

Things on tarmac improve in cars with all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive. You start to get mid-corner snaps as the tyre rotation is reduced and – like in WRC 10 – you can make mid-corner corrections. However, the balance is still perhaps too rear-weighted.

In WRC 10, meanwhile, the Audi Sport scythes through corners in a way that feels more expected. It is also grippier at the rear, although this is partly down to significantly less horsepower to cause unwanted wheelspin. The experience is less lairy and more balanced yet still rewarding.

What I think both games do well is that you can feel the lack of technology and refinement when compared with newer machines, which is exactly how it should be. Dirt Rally 2.0’s approach makes the gap more obvious. But I think WRC 10 wins on tarmac for realism and enjoyment.

Winner: WRC 10

Snow

Now let’s take a look at some snow action from Sweden in the tricky Lancia 037. In Dirt Rally 2.0 that reduced grip makes each car more of a handful than in WRC 10 except this time, you could argue, that makes driving more realistic.

The physics of struggling to put power down and sliding between gears is all there, which is what you see in real footage. Rally drivers end up in a never-ending sideways flow between corners, while the average speed is severely reduced.

WRC 10 is also suitably slippery on snow and you can really feel surface changes between thick powder and sprinklings. As with Dirt Rally 2.0, driving into the former at the edge severely reduces your speed.

Once again, WRC 10’s level of grip is more reliable. Only this time you could argue there is too much of it when using snow tyres. Fortunately, using the wrong tyres on snow results in truly awful handling so points are redeemed.

Where you see the biggest difference is in the winter stage designs. I find Sweden in Dirt Rally 2.0, for instance, tedious except for a couple of exceptions.

So which is best for snow? I think reality sits somewhere between the two interpretations. Dirt Rally 2.0 is more of a handful in deep powder, but that lack of grip is noticeable again. WRC 10 is maybe too grippy, but better for surface changes, less frustrating and the stages are more exciting.

Winner: Draw

WRC 10 vs Dirt Rally 2.0: Graphics & Performance

Before WRC 10, console players were limited to 30 frames per second. Not so good for a fast-paced game. Fortunately next-gen enhancements mean 60FPS on Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X and PS5. You just need to enable the ‘Balanced’ graphics mode.

Opt for ‘Quality’ and you revert to 30FPS, which is jarring but still playable. Or you can go for ‘Performance’, the preset for 120FPS smooth-as-butter gameplay. If your monitor or TV supports it and you can handle 1080p.

Detail in WRC 10 is up to 4K and in some stages it looks glorious. Estonia’s forests look alive, with sunlight pouring through the branches in beautiful fashion. Then there are other stages where things look sparse and a bit PlayStation 2 or PS3.

The frame-rate on Series X is stable most of the time. Series S, apparently, can struggle more. Dirt Rally 2.0 was consistent. Then there is screen tearing, which is an issue in WRC 10 while Dirt Rally 2.0 avoids it.

Overall, I think Dirt Rally 2.0 is sometimes prettier to look at. Scenes manage to look busier and more alive most of the time. The price for that realism is a less crisp, somewhat murky image. Also replays at normal speed appear to be 30FPS.

WRC 10 and its predecessors lose points for being ridiculously dark during night races, especially in the weather-heavy Extreme Conditions challenges. Headlights seem too dim, which is challenging and makes pace notes more important than ever.

Chuck in heavy rain and, even with the wipers at full speed, you struggle to see much. Realistic, yes, but also frustrating and punishing. Dirt Rally 2.0 has heavy rain too, but even in the cockpit views you have an easier time navigating.

Of course, WRC 10 has dynamic weather and more weather options. Dirt Rally 2.0 is limited in this regard. But it does offer 60FPS for older consoles, unlike a lot of racing games.

Close call here, but I think Dirt Rally 2.0 is more consistent in this area. I just wish it had better weather functionality.

Winner: Dirt Rally 2.0

The Rallies

Without DLC, Dirt Rally 2.0 has Argentina, Australia, Finland, Greece, New Zealand, Poland, Spain USA and Scotland for a total of 9 standard rally countries. Wales, Germany, Monte Carlo, Sweden and Greece cost extra.

WRC 10 at launch comes with Monte Carlo, New Zealand, Sweden, Croatia, Portugal, Italy – Sardinia, Italy – Sanremo, Kenya, Estonia, Chile, Wales, Finland, Spain and Japan. 12 rally countries, 13 locations. 5 free historical rallies come later for a total of 12.

For a game based on WRC accuracy, the lack of Arctic Rally Finland is odd. But sadly games take time to make and there was not enough of it. Also worth noting is that very few stages match the real-life layouts despite the official WRC licence.

Quantity is rarely an indicator of quality, of course, but in this case I think WRC 10 manages both. Its stages are longer and in most cases more enjoyable to drive to the point you forgive the sometimes weaker visuals. Even if you still get the odd puddle of death. Yes, Wales, I am looking at you.

Some of Dirt Rally 2.0’s stage designs are forgettable and, in the case of Argentina and Sweden, can be downright tedious. But the good stages can be as enthralling as WRC 10.

Winner: WRC 10

The Cars

Now for the cars. WRC 10 has 7 from WRC, 21 from WRC 2 and WRC 3, 8 from Juniour WRC, 17 from Legends AKA historic, 5 bonus cars including the Team Porsche 911 GT3 RS R-GT and more will be added later, so says developer Kylotonn. That is 58 cars before DLC.

Dirt 2.0, meanwhile, has 20 historic cars split across older stuff such as the Lancia Fulvia HF to Group B monsters like the Peugeot 205 T16. Plus three cars from R2, five from Group A, four in Rally GT, seven from R5 and three from the NA4/R4 and ‘up to 2,000cc’ categories. Plus 12 from Rallycross. 54 cars before DLC.

Buying all extra content for Dirt Rally 2.0 on Xbox, for example, costs £17.99 and you do get 29 cars extra, 12 locations and the Colin McRae: Flat Out pack.

That makes Dirt Rally 2.0 more comprehensive in this respect, but WRC 10 is better value and also the fact it has the official WRC cars is a big plus.

Winner: Draw

The Game Modes

Next in my WRC 10 vs Dirt Rally 2.0 showdown: Game modes. Dirt Rally 2.0 has a career mode, but it is very basic and lacks the development, aesthetic and depth of WRC 10. It also has Historic, which has classic rally, 80s machinery, modern classics and present-day categories.

There is also Time Trial, FIA World Rallycross Championship, free roam, custom and RaceNet Clubs. Plus a healthy number of daily, weekly and monthly challenges. Or make your own solo or online championship.

WRC 10 and its weird menu system includes the aforementioned career mode, which involves hiring and firing staff, research and development and various race types. New is the Anniversary Mode, which celebrates 50 years of the FIA rally. One year early, but anyway.

Here you get to try out famous rally moments such as the Audi Sport at Monte-Carlo in 1984. Sadly, this is mainly just a time trial with added crowds to smack into and information about each moment. It does not help that career mode throws up the exact same challenges.

WRC 10 also has Quick Play for hopping into a rally, Season for crew management-less rallies, a Livery Editor for editing liveries (but not sharing them) and Online Events with daily, weekly and special challenges.

Clubs, meanwhile, is for making a club to compare with friends, online multiplayer is for online racing against the world, Leaderboards for rankings, Co-Driver mode for two-player co-op and Split-Screen for old-fashioned racing.

Lastly, there is a Test Area for testing, Challenges for completing challenges of varying difficulty and Training for the early career mode training stuff.

Of the two, WRC 10 is definitely more comprehensive. Anyone marginally interested in a career mode is definitely best served by WRC 10, or even WRC 9 if on a budget.

Winner: WRC 10

General pros & cons

Now for some general pros and cons – if you’re still awake. Night racing in WRC 10 can be too dark to the point where you may need to use an external view. Headlight illumination distance seems short, particularly in the rain.

Also the issue of hands on the steering wheel not correlating with your actual steering wheel or joystick movement persists. And it is going to be annoying for some that you have to start your career mode in WRC 3 or Juniour WRC, not jump straight into WRC.

In addition, WRC 10 has a difficulty slider for everything but the Anniversary mode, which means many of you will be tearing your hair out trying to beat the 4:52 time at Monte Carlo in the Audi Quattro. Whereas the other challenges are noticeably easier.

On the flip-side, WRC 10 uses a female voice for the co-driver because in the 1981 rally that was how it was. I also like that the Livery Editor, despite being odd in places, is more advanced and easier to use than in many games such as MotoGP 21 and Dirt 5.

What Dirt Rally 2.0 lacks in a livery editor, it makes up for with virtual reality support. Yes, WRC 10 does not have VR. This is a niche feature, admittedly, but I personally like having the option and I know others do too. It really does add to the immersion.

Dirt Rally 2.0 also has a better replay mode with more options for slowing down the action, as you saw earlier. This is great for rally nerds and/or photographers who like to mess around with this stuff.

As for car damage, WRC 10 is good at simulating damage, but the physical effects manifest in more limited fashion. Dirt Rally 2.0 is the opposite – you can really mangle a car but it is less apparent in the handling. Both games err on the side of forgiving in this area.

What about audio? Car engine sounds were re-recorded in WRC 10 from multiple angles, resulting in a more accurate sound that gives Dirt Rally 2.0 a run for its money. But, of course, listen to both yourself in YouTube videos and compare with real life. Neither is offensive if you ask me.

And lastly, what about steering wheels? Well, WRC 10 has had some teething issues with particular brands but I find that generally it does force feedback better than in Dirt Rally 2.0. I found WRC 10 better with a controller, but both games benefit from added accessories.

If in doubt, do some prior research as accessory support varies between devices. Fanatec is an official sponsor of WRC 10, which helps, but steering wheels from Thrustmaster and Logitech are more common.

WRC 10 vs Dirt Rally 2.0: The winner?

Phwoar, that was an epic. To be honest, I find the whole car to racing simulator thing fascinating. As we have seen in real life, talented racing gamers can become talented drivers. Transferrable skills exist between the two.

However, neither game is quite like the real thing. You lose the G-forces, the sheer violence, the spine-shattering ride, the deafening noises and the fear of death. No fancy sim racing setup can replace that – even if you have a tower filled with gold like Scrooge McDuck.

Which is better to play though? Well, based on points it is WRC 10. The reality is that both games do certain things very well and others not so well. It depends on what you want. Difficulty? Go Dirt Rally 2.0. Depth? Go WRC 10.

For me, WRC 10 is the more realistic rally simulator. Dirt Rally 2.0 gets many things right and yet the handling is just too floaty, the force feedback poor and there is not enough meat to the career mode.

A combination of the two games would be the dream. But with potentially only one game left before Kylotonn hands over the official WRC licence to Codemasters and EA, we will not be seeing much (if any) collaboration.

Let’s remember though that a game from early 2019 is still competitive, still getting defended vigorously by fans and still regarded as the king of rally sims. Rightly or wrongly. The WRC games have come a long way, but that annual update schedule has kept it from being revolutionary.

I guess the takeaway should be that try both and refund the one you dislike. And enjoy the fact that the problem of arguing over two great rally games is a great problem to have. Roll on WRC 11 and Dirt Rally 3.0.