Choose Project CARS 2
Choose Project CARS 2 if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 80.7% positive across 5,859 reviews.
Project CARS 2 vs Project CARS - Pagani Edition
Project CARS 2 and Project CARS - Pagani Edition both land in Racing on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Racing games on Steam. Project CARS - Pagani Edition (2016) is 1 year older than Project CARS 2 (2017). Project CARS 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (80.7% positive) than Project CARS - Pagani Edition (60.2% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Project CARS - Pagani Edition
Choose Project CARS - Pagani Edition if you want a Sports and Simulation experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Project CARS - Pagani Edition launched in 2016.
Both Project CARS 2 and Project CARS - Pagani Edition sit in Racing on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards and VR Supported, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Project CARS 2 |  Project CARS - Pagani Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Genres | Racing | Sports, Simulation, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | Price unknown | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 80.7% positive (5,859 reviews) | 60.2% positive (591 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Slightly Mad Studios | Slightly Mad Studios |
Side by side
- Both are Racing games on Steam.
- Project CARS - Pagani Edition (2016) is 1 year older than Project CARS 2 (2017).
- Project CARS 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (80.7% positive) than Project CARS - Pagani Edition (60.2% positive).
- Project CARS - Pagani Edition is free; Project CARS 2 is paid (Price unknown).
- Project CARS 2 is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Project CARS - Pagani Edition has no Deck rating yet.
Project CARS 2 vs Project CARS - Pagani Edition — FAQ
- Which is better, Project CARS 2 or Project CARS - Pagani Edition?
- On Steam reviews Project CARS 2 scores higher (80.7% positive) than Project CARS - Pagani Edition (60.2% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Project CARS 2 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Project CARS 2 or Project CARS - Pagani Edition first?
- If you want chronology, Project CARS - Pagani Edition (2016) came out before Project CARS 2 (2017). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Project CARS 2 and Project CARS - Pagani Edition similar?
- They overlap on Racing on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Project CARS - Pagani Edition have multiplayer like Project CARS 2?
- No. Project CARS 2 supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Project CARS - Pagani Edition is listed as single-player only.
- Is Project CARS - Pagani Edition free?
- Yes — Project CARS - Pagani Edition is a free-to-play Steam title. Project CARS 2 is paid (Price unknown).