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The best racing games on Nintendo Switch
We rundown the coolest simulations, sci-fi racers, and karting games available on Switch.
There’s nothing quite like pulling out your Switch in a social setting and handing around the joy cons for a spot of impromptu split screen fun, and there is arguably no better genre to do that with than racing games. Sure the likes of Smash Bros. or Rocket League might seem simple to understand, but they do require some explaining, whereas everyone understands the concept of racing around a track. Fortunately the Switch has a ton of great racing games available, so let’s dive into the best of them.
Mario Kart 8: Deluxe
We expect by now that this particular racer needs no introduction, but it's still very much worth a mention. MK8 Deluxe is the most comprehensive version of the greatest karting game ever made, featuring the base game and all the extra tracks and racers – plus proper, actual multiplayer battle arenas this time around.
One of the Switch's absolute "must own" titles, Mario Kart 8 is rare in that it can be enjoyed as well alone as with friends. And let's be honest, how many people buy a Nintendo console without buying a Mario Kart game? That's right: none.
GRID Autosport
Codemasters first launched GRID Autosport in 2014, garnering critical acclaim and becoming something of a cult hit, offering excellent, no-frills racing but flying somewhat under the radar. Thankfully, this ace racer has been rediscovered following its launch on Switch last year, with the game's superb career mode offering five different disciplines to master, and the racing itself is brilliantly competitive with AI smart enough to pose a real challenge. There's never been a better time to discover GRID Autosport's considerable charms.
Fast RMX
Speed is everything in Fast RMX
© Shin'en Multimedia
Screeching up the track is a sci-fi ship-racer called Fast RMX. A re-release of the Wii U’s Fast Racing Neo, RMX features all 24 original tracks as well as six brand new ones. It also launched with a tougher difficulty, called “Hero Mode”, that ups the challenge for the more hardcore among us.
Interestingly, you can shift your ship between two states (blue and orange) during races in order to make proper use of the game’s colour-coded boost zones. It’s not tactical, per se, but it adds an extra element to each clash that feels slightly different to what has gone before. Fast RMX is definitely worth a look for those of you who like your racers super-speedy right out of the gate.
Cars 3: Driven to Win
Are you Driven to Win?
© Avalanche Software
Disney’s Cars is one of those franchises that should really produce great, kid-friendly videogame spin-offs. The characters and aesthetics alone should make for an excellent racer, but previous efforts haven’t been all that exciting.
However, Cars 3: Driven to Win was surprisingly good compared to other Cars movie tie-ins. It obviously featured all your favourite characters from the movie like Lightning McQueen and… um, the other ones, and has a number of great modes to keep you entertained including a Burnout-style Takedown Mode, a weaponised Battle Mode and a stunt-fuelled Sandbox in which to go nuts, performing flips and tricks to nail the highest score.
Redout
Race into the future in Redout
© 34BigThings
Whenever a new Nintendo console comes along, people clamour in the streets baying for the usual franchise reboots or sequels. Everyone wants the new Metroid, Monster Hunter, Super Mario or Star Fox. Racers aren't usually at the top of the list unless, of course, you're talking about F-Zero. The anti-gravity, ship-racing classic always gets our tongues wagging, even though the powers that be seem to ignore our pleas.
Well, hopefully our prayers will be answered by Redout, a sci-fi-flavoured, super-fast ship racer that pays homage to titles like F-Zero and Rollcage, if it ever actually comes out. The racing itself is physics-heavy; it’s not exactly an F1 or Forza, but the arcade-style action is shaping up to be a comfortable challenge for those race fans who like a little more “oom” in their “vroom” (sorry).
Racing Apex
Inspired by what many still consider to be the glory days of the arcade racer, Racing Apex takes its visual cues from blocky old classics like Sega’s legendary Virtua Racing, but adds in some kart-like combat mechanics and an injection of modern speed.
Wonderfully nostalgic, bright, colourful, and quick, Racing Apex was originally greenlit as a Steam title before development began on the Wii U and Switch versions. In a world where racing games often strive for hyper-realism and steep challenge, it’s refreshing to see a developer so willing to embrace what we all loved about racing games in the first place.
Gear.Club Unlimited 2
Get tinkering in Gear.Club Unlimited 2
© Eden Games
Gear.Club Unlimited 2 is the bigger and, some would say, better sequel to Gear.Club Unlimited, one of the better racing titles to grace the Switch in its early days despite being a modified port of a mobile game.
The sequel doesn’t do that much differently, it’s still a solid racer with more than enough cars and tracks to keep you playing, and with a lack of racing sims on the Switch this is about as close as you are going to get to say a Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport style game on Nintendo’s console.
Horizon Chase Turbo
Racing games are often some of the most realistic looking titles we see on consoles, but Horizon Chase Turbo finds beauty in a different way, thanks to its incredible art style that alone makes this worth playing.
If you imagine what Out Run would be like on the Switch then you pretty much have the idea. Some surprisingly tough AI can make this quite the challenging title if that's what you're looking for, and the moment to moment action requires enough thought to keep you engaged.
V Rally 4
While there are a lot of options when it comes to racing games on Switch, if you’re specifically looking for a rallying title then V Rally 4 is basically your only option. You’re also not the only one wondering where the other three V Rally games are, the last one launched in 2002 so you're forgiven for not remembering that one.
Rally fans will undoubtedly find a lot to love here, there's a deep career mode, multiple different rally types and some impressive locations to race across and at times even get some serious air time. Although a word of warning, sometimes the Switch struggles with texture pop and frame rates.
MotoGP 19
If two wheels are more your thing than four then MotoGP 19 is, unsurprisingly, the racing game of choice for you on the Switch. With pretty much zero competition on the two wheel front (apart from MotoGP 18), the latest in the racing series has the market cornered. Fortunately it features pretty much everything you could want when it comes to super bikes, except for split screen and online multiplayer.
With all the official MotoGP licenses you could ever need, this really is like being on the MotoGP circuit, and theoretically you could even play this while stood on a real MotoGP circuit thanks to the Switch’s portability, although we wouldn't recommend that.
GRIP
GRIP is a racing game, there’s no doubting that, but just as important is combat, as taking your opponents off the track with a number of powerups really is the best way to make it to the front of the pack. With some ridiculous weapons, tracks that have unbelievable routes and set pieces, and a solid soundtrack GRIP is great fun to play.
Oh did we mention that gravity is pretty lax most of the time so you can drive up walls and upside down. No? Our bad, we probably should have started with that. Just when you thought GRIP couldn’t get any cooler it just did.
Nickelodeon Kart Racers
Race with style in Nickelodeon Kart Racers
© Bamtang Games SAC
We never knew that the one thing missing from our lives was playing as Spongebob as we take on Patrick, Tommy Pickles from Rugrats, Arnold Shortman from Hey Arnold! and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in a kart race, but now we have experienced it we can truly say our lives are now complete.
This is a perfectly competent kart racer that’s a good alternative to Mario and crew, especially if you love Nickelodeon. Although if you’re like us and are more of a fan of Chuckie from Rugrats and not Tommy you may be a little disappointed. Chuckie DLC please.
