The Nintendo Switch is home to some of the most spectacular titles, and racing games have their own essential place in the mix. From the unmissable Mario Kart to Team Sonic Racing, you can expect to meet many of your favorite characters in worlds colored by different themes, tracks, events and even special abilities.
We have compiled a list of the best racing games on Nintendo Switch. Thanks to the console’s versatility, these games can be experienced both handheld, on a big screen, or even through accessories and third-party improvements.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017)
Super Mario Kart established the benchmark for kart racing games. With its first release on SNES, the world saw what the Mario universe was capable of when quirky characters are put on a track with unique karts and special abilities. When subsequent installments of the series were launched, it continued to raise the bar, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is no exception.
Everything about Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is phenomenal, from smooth online gaming to reasonable item scaling dependent on your location. You don’t even need a TV to play this kart racing party game, which is the ideal fun for any gaming get-together. Undoubtedly one of the best racing games on Nintendo Switch.
Burnout Paradise Remastered (2018)
The Burnout series is renowned for its fast-paced racing and high-risk-high-reward gameplay. Driving through a congested city feels insanely satisfying as opposed to racing within a solitary circuit. With its open-world metropolis packed with racing, wrecks, and mysteries to uncover, Burnout Paradise elevated this idea of adrenaline-fused racing mechanics. On the Switch, Burnout Paradise Remastered is a portable delight, and the game’s open-world driving is addictive and gripping.
Wreckfest (2014)
Wreckfest is a racer for everyone who loves combining destruction with reckless driving. Try this one out if you want to test your car’s capabilities under risky circumstances. It’s the pinnacle of the destruction-freak power trip. Slamming other drivers and operating almost-done-for cars in this game feels thrilling because of the incredible graphics and destruction physics. Playing together, competing against other players online, or ramming AI cars into barriers are some of the engaging gameplay experiences of playing Wreckfest.
Rocket League (2015)
Although technically more of a sports game, Rocket League combines racing cars with soccer. It blends multiple subgenres of racing games into one engaging title. It’s tough to compare Rocket League with any other racer in the market simply because of how unique it is.
Rocket League boasts a variety of vehicles, cross-platform online multiplayer, and the fact that it is free to play. It has everything a racing game could be, making it one of the best racing games on Nintendo Switch ever. It’s always thrilling to watch a car score a goal after being controlled skillfully through hours of practice and getting better at the game.
Cruis N’ Blast (2021)
A racing game meant for arcades, this one was launched on Switch in 2021, and is a no-frills, but very effective racing game with a simple but super-engaging core gameplay loop: Make the distance in a fixed time interval, and race smartly to pick up bonuses at checkpoints to increase that fixed time interval. Complete races, to upgrade your vehicle and make it that much more effective when trying to complete harder courses like Rio de Janeiro and Singapore.
This is the perfect game for a quick play, if you are not feeling to get into the more involved career modes and similar in the other racing games on this list. Sometimes, the ability to get into the core racing part is what makes a game stand apart, and that is also what makes Cruis N’ Blast one of the best racing games on Switch.
Asphalt 9: Legends (2018)
The practice of porting mobile games to the Nintendo Switch is not new. Although Asphalt 9: Legends is a fully-fledged game that feels ‘nice’ on mobile, its true potential comes out on consoles. The Switch brings to spotlight what Asphalt 9: Legends is truly capable of. In addition to having realistic graphics, it also offers online multiplayer and a vast variety of cars and circuits. The game is free to play, so that’s a cherry on top.
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged (2023)
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged was released in 2023, and is one of the more recent entries in this list of best racing games on Nintendo Switch. The first game in this fledgling series was released a couple of years back, and developers Milestone and Domenico Celenza have made the effort to make the sequel have new features to make it a proper evolution. You now have categories of vehicles, and each of the 6 categories brings with it advantages, and disadvantages. Similarly, there are tracks with dirt-based, or grass-based terrain, and you have to accordingly pick the vehicle that is best suited to the racing track.
You also get skill points on crossing certain milestones, which you can then use to upgrade your vehicles. All this, along with the standard elimination events, races, split-screen multiplayer make Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged one of the best racing games on Switch.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (2019)
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled was originally a part of the Crash Bandicoot universe, and fans of the franchise consider this one of the best racing games on Nintendo Switch. It has been updated for contemporary gaming platforms. Racing fans from all over the world can now appreciate the 1999 PlayStation edition of this kart racing classic on a completely new level.
To sweeten the deal, there’s an addition of online multiplayer. Thanks to the upgraded HUD, aesthetic choices, and character switching during the campaign, this game and the 1999 original bear striking similarities (with a sufficient amount of freshness).
Horizon Chase Turbo (2018)
Horizon Chase Turbo pays tribute to classic 2D racing while giving the style a retro gloss with sharper, more colorful visuals. Its world is packed with material, so its flat, blocky aesthetic is somewhat of a touch of charm. This riveting racer feels complete with dozens of original rapid-fire courses, distinctive cars, and even split-screen multiplayer.
Team Sonic Racing (2019)
This spin-off of the Sonic the Hedgehog series was released in 2019, and acquired a life of its own thanks to its arcade-y but effective and responsive gaming controls, as well as its spin on the kart racing genre through focusing on co-op.
It introduced a system of power ups, of racing classes, and winning the race meant not just consuming power ups, or performing well on your own, but also keeping an eye out on your partners, and sharing power ups with them as required. If you pull off co-op gameplay well, the game rewards you through an ‘Ultimate’ meter, the equivalent of a nitrous boost that gives a temporary high-speed burst. This nuance makes the game earn its place among the best racing games available on Nintendo Switch
These were our picks for some of the best racing games available on Nintendo Switch. If you’re looking to bring the arcade experience to your gaming space, officially licensed Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Mini & Deluxe might be options worth considering.
