Even though it’s been out for a while, the Nintendo Switch remains one of the greatest gaming systems, especially for playing on the go. Racing is a popular video game genre, and the Switch’s portability makes it the ideal choice for fans of this genre.Racing games and the Nintendo Switch go together like vehicles and gasoline, whether you are in the middle of a race or just want to take a leisurely ride in the bus. While Forza and Beam.NG aren’t available on the Switch, there are still plenty of other contemporary and vintage racing games to satisfy your cravings.
Revision received November 12, 2023, from Jouanna Bondakji Compared to other systems like the Xbox, the Nintendo Switch tends to lean toward the toonier side of things, making it an interesting platform for racing games. Mario Kart is exclusive to Nintendo systems, after all.
It’s the best of all worlds because several more somber racing titles are being ported to the Switch at the same time. To stay up to date with the greatest racing games available on the Switch, we’ve updated the list.
The 17 Best Racing Games On The Switch
In this article you can find out the best 17 Racing games on Nintendo Switch list are below;
20 NASCAR Rivals
A Taste Of Real NASCAR racing
The Switch has a ton of racing and driving games, but the more complex, sophisticated simulations are still uncommon. Let me introduce you to Motorsport Games’ NASCAR Rivals , a game that effectively fills a Switch niche. The objective of the game is to replicate the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series in addition to reflecting professional motor racing.
Many different types of content have been made available right now, and more are on the horizon. These include the ability to connect with random drivers in any track, a challenge mode, and a deep career mode. Technically speaking, the game makes do with the (comparatively) limited hardware of the Switch, but it nevertheless looks fantastic and plays quite smoothly.
19 Fast RMX
Your Lights Matter Here
Look no farther if you’re searching for a Switch equivalent of F-Zero Shin’en Multimedia’s launch title is still as close as it gets. Fast RMX isn’t likely to outperform Captain Falcon and company, but it does have some interesting features that set it apart from the competition.
Play some of the greatest open-world Nintendo Switch games to discover thrilling and expansive new worlds.
The game has effective yet subtle in-the-moment color-switching mechanics. To use the matching track strip for boosting, you must reverse the color of your car’s lights. Split-screen and online multiplayer are also included, along with some amazing lighting and particle effects.
18 The Next Penelope
A Vividly Colorful Racing Experience
In The Next Penelope, a weapons system is activated and cars race.
These days, The Next Penelope is probably not the first racing game that most people think of when they think of racing games. The game is a top-down racing game that has a nostalgic vibe and bright graphics.
However, there are a lot of surprises in store for you, so don’t assume that this game is all about style. In addition, the racer incorporates some shooting elements to create an incredibly entertaining and diverse arcade-style racing game. Anyone with a nostalgia for classic races should definitely give this one a try.
17 Inertial Drift
A Mix Of Past And Future Aesthetics
You’ll undoubtedly be pulled to Inertial Drift, an amazing arcade racing with some entertaining gameplay centered around—you guessed it—drifting, if you enjoy your games to have an old-school feel to them. Better yet, it can be great for beginners too..
You can play multiplayer races against your friends or race the game alone with a wide selection of cars and tracks. Try Inertial Drift if you’re looking for a racing game that is both relatively familiar and really tough. The best thing is that the game is already less priced than many other games in the same genre and is frequently discounted on the Switch shop.
16 Cruisn’ Blast
Intense In Both Visuals And Gameplay
Racing action shot with a vehicle and helicopter firing in Cruisin Blast Switch
Raw Thrill’s adaptation of the 2017 arcade title is one of the most underappreciated races on Switch, and it works flawlessly with the hybrid system. The game’s bizarre concepts, retro aesthetic, and fast-paced gameplay throughout give off an appealing arcade mayhem vibe. Cruisin’ Blast hits you with explosive, edge-of-your-seat moments but still manages to be rather approachable.
Scurrying around a variety of vivid tracks in multiple brightly colored cars, you’ll be racing against other players while trying to prolong your time restriction. Upgrading your car can also provide you an advantage and add a little more nuance to the Cruis’n experience.
15 Team Sonic Racing
Go As Fast As Sonic
Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails in a screenshot from Sonic Group Racing
Games that are often from other genres might successfully change things up with kart racing games. Mario Kart, is a classic example, but Sonic has also had a number of racing games throughout the years that feature karts, foot races, and hoverboard races.
Given his speed, Sonic is obviously the ideal subject for a racing game; Team Sonic Racing is a fantastic illustration of this. Despite having many similarities to Mario Kart, Team Sonic Racing has enough unique content to be enjoyable to both kids
14 Star Wars Episode One Racer
Re-enact Star Wars Pod Racing
In Star Wars Episode 1 Racer, a green pod is seen soaring through a valley.
Even though Star Wars Episode One Racer is more than 20 years old, it manages to hold its own against many of the other arcade-style races on the Switch. You race with pods, just like in the movie, instead of even having automobiles in it. In spite of everything, this game more than lives up to its reputation.
Although there are certain quality-of-life enhancements like motion controls, this is not a remaster. This means that while the gameplay is strong, there are certain elements that blatantly display their age, such as the relatively sloppy controls, the truncated soundtrack, and the graphics, which are reminiscent of the N64 period.
13 Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Deceptively Challenging
Even if Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is still a little strange, it’s a great example of a remastered game done well. While honoring the original game’s vision, it offers all the features you could ask for in a remake, including updated graphics, tighter controls, and even online multiplayer.
Although it also borrows some elements from the Mario Kart format, CTR Nitro-Fueled is unique because to a few significant modifications. I would best characterize it as more of a skill-based competitive game, while Mario Kart is more of a chance-based party game.
12 Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
Blend Fiction And Reality
It’s true that you have to put in a little extra effort to get this game going, but it’s still really entertaining. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a virtual reality game where you create your own racetrack around your house and race karts around it, unlike the traditional Mario Kart experience.
While the game software itself can usually be downloaded for free, other equipment needed to play the game has to be bought separately. It’s still not surprising, though, that everyone who picked up the game and let their creativity run free had a great time playing it.
11 Asphalt 9: Legends
A Worthwhile Free-To-Play Game
Mobile games are being moved over to the Nintendo Switch, which is a phenomena. The majority of these games are more enjoyable to play on your phone, but Asphalt 9: Legends is a complete game that you should get on the system.
Your heart will race and your adrenaline will surge when you play these fantastic action games for the Nintendo Switch.
In addition to having realistic graphics, it also offers online multiplayer, a vast array of vehicles and tracks, and—best of all—a fully realized career mode. That’s not the best part—playing it is completely free.
10 Hot Wheels Unleashed
Ever Wondered What It’s Like To Be In A Hot Wheels Car?
Hot Wheels Unleashed demonstrates why Hot Wheels is the perfect toy to turn into a video game. Hot Wheels Unleashed emphasizes approachable, arcade-style driving and offers you a glimpse into the toy’s perspective rather than attempting to turn Hot Wheels into a realistic racing game.
The fact that Hot Wheels Unleashed is set on real Hot Wheels tracks in homes that seem enormous in comparison to the tiny cars is its greatest feature. You may also create your own tracks, fulfilling every child’s desire to hop in their preferred vehicle and zoom around the course they constructed in their garden.
9 Art Of Rally
Beautiful Environments To Zoom Through
You’ll probably enjoy Art Of Rally if you’d rather a less nerve-wracking and more classically beautiful racing. Even though the game appears straightforward at first glance, exploring or going through the campaign is an incredible experience.
Although this is by no means the best version of the game, Art of Rally is a fantastic game to play if you just have a Switch. At a cost less than many other games, go race in certain chic events, acquire some vehicles, and progress through the entertaining career experience.
8 Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered
Chase Or Flee To Win
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One Need for Speed game is universally acknowledged as being very good. That game is called Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, and the Nintendo Switch port allows you to play the remastered version of this beloved police and robbers arcade racing game on the go.
Things never get boring because you can alternate between being an illegal street racer and a police officer whenever you choose. This game has a ton of replay potential when you combine it with a competitive scoreboard that encourages you to beat all of your friends’ times.
7 Trials Rising
Master Stability Over Speed
It is tough to sum Trials Rising up in a single word. This 2.5D racing puzzle platformer is among the most distinctive interpretations of the racing genre, much like the other Trials series games. There is no 3D environment in Trials Rising. Rather, it’s more like a side-scrolling platformer where your main goal is to stay upright.
There are many games on the Nintendo Switch, but several stand out in particular because of their incredible stories.
Both your torque and your forward or backward lean are under your control. You have to ride your motorcycle across odd objects and really hazardous situations when using this. It’s the slowest and most intense racing experience you can find when you add multiplayer functionality to the mix. Though it shouldn’t be the first game that springs to mind when you think of “racing,” it certainly should.
6 Grid Autosport
A Masterclass In Realistic Racing
When it comes to realistic racing games on the Switch, Grid Autosport takes the top rank. It has a vast selection of racetracks and vehicles, and they all appear as authentic as the Switch is capable of handling without blowing up.
Grid Autosport aims to simulate a more realistic experience, but you may adjust the controls and difficulty level to suit your car. The game’s best feature is its local and online multiplayer, which is a must for any racing game worth its salt.
5 Rocket League
Play Ball With Cars
Never before has the ideal fusion of two seemingly unconnected things worked so well together. Rocket League is a game that blends soccer with race cars. Although it’s more of a sports game, it’s still worth mentioning because it dominates any possible competition.
With an enormous number of cars, cross-platform online multiplayer, and—best of all—free gameplay, Rocket League has everything a racing game could want. Watching the ball rocket into the goal after being boosted at a high speed is always interesting.
4 Wreckfest
Chaotic Destruction… And Some Racing
You’re in luck if you’re searching for an enjoyable racer that provides more than just the standard races. Wreckfest offers you the chance to partake in a ton of destructive mayhem in addition to a top-notch racing experience.
For some reason, not many Switch users have heard of this game. If you want to become the most destructive racer on the track, you’ll need to make sure you learn the finest strategies for both offensive and defense as you compete in Wreckfest.
3 Sega Ages: Out Run
Race Against Yourself
An arcade game from the 1980s has to be really unique to make the list, and Out Run certainly qualifies. Sega Ages: Out Run is a well-known and renowned racing game that has been ported to the Nintendo Switch. The guidelines are straightforward: choose some enjoyable music, get into your convertible, and keep driving. The following area’s style and difficulty are determined by your decision to proceed left or right at a fork in the road when you approach specific checkmarks.
They may not have received as much attention as they should have.
This version of the iconic arcade game is flawless, allowing you to completely feel why Out Run became so popular in the first place, even though it’s not the most sophisticated game on the list. There aren’t many options better than this one if you’re looking for something quick, simple, and constantly entertaining.
2 Burnout Paradise Remastered
Crashing And Burning Has Never Felt Better
One racing series, Burnout, is renowned for its fast rides through congested city streets as opposed to being held on a remote course. This was elevated to a whole new level in Burnout Paradise , an open-world metropolis teeming with racing, wrecks, and mysteries to uncover.
The Switch version of Burnout Paradise Remastered offers a gameplay style that is ideal for the portable nature of the device—you may drive about in an open area or participate in fast races. The best part is that the crashes are amazing.
1 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The Second Best Party Game (Next To Mario Party)
In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario gravitates toward item boxes.
When it was first released on the SNES, Super Mario Kart established the benchmark for kart racing games. Every time a new game in the series was published, it went on to establish the benchmark, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is no exception. Even if the Wii U version of the game is also playable, this Deluxe edition offers the best possible experience.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is excellent at almost everything, including fair item scaling depending on the location you are in and excellent online gameplay. It’s the ultimate party game for any gaming gathering—you don’t even need a TV to play this kart racing party game. Besides, Rainbow Road, come on.
