Grid Legends races to Nintendo Switch 2, but can Feral Interactive repeat its porting magic?
Grid Legends first hit PC and consoles in 2022. It earned strong reviews, no mean feat given competition from the Forza and Gran Turismo franchises, thanks to a distinctive story campaign, an eclectic mix of cars and disciplines, and its ability to thread the needle between arcade-style thrills and sim-leaning realism.
I played through the game on Xbox Series X and found that its neatly organised structure made it a more digestible, manageable experience than Sony and Microsoft’s flagship racers. That, in turn, makes it a natural fit for Nintendo’s latest hardware.
If the announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Grid Legends gives you a slight sense of déjà vu, that’s because Feral Interactive already pulled off a minor miracle by bringing Grid Autosport to the original Switch back in 2019. That port included a selection of performance and control options that helped it shine on the system, and it remains the best “serious” racer on the platform to this day.
This port is a different, more complex beast, but the good news is that Feral Interactive’s work here is no less impressive.
Grid Legends is built around three core pillars: Career, Driven to Glory, and Free Play, plus a multitude of side activities.
Career mode delivers a long-haul motorsport buffet across ten disciplines and a variety of vehicle classes. Driven to Glory is a live-action, documentary-style campaign that weaves the game’s full range of events into a story of cut-throat team rivalries and personal grudges. Finally, Free Play lets you create a bespoke race or event using a host of variables, including car classes, track layouts, weather conditions, and grid composition.
The game is also generous with unlockables, steadily doling out rewards as you work through its modes. New cars open up over time, alongside livery designs and cosmetic customisation options that let you put your own stamp on the grid. Even short gameplay sessions tend to end with something new in your garage or another objective completed. The only red flag in this otherwise generous package is online multiplayer, or rather, the lack of it.
At launch, the game doesn’t support online play, offering only leaderboards to track race times alongside regularly updated, time-limited events. It’s a genuine loss, but hopefully, as with Grid Autosport, Feral Interactive will be able to add online multiplayer support in a future update. It’s the one blemish in a game that otherwise shines on Switch 2.
For solo players, however, there’s still plenty to enjoy. Driven to Glory is the best place to start. It’s a knowingly ridiculous motorsport melodrama, and a refreshing change of tone compared to the groan-inducing festival vibes found in the Forza Horizon series. It plays out more like a 1990s television drama, with some wonderfully arch performances. Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa is a standout as Valentin Manzi, bringing charisma and bite that are a perfect counterpoint to the genre’s usual self-seriousness.
Joseph Millson as Ryan McKane and Nicole Castillo-Mavromatis as Lara Carvalho keep the whole thing galloping along by shamelessly chewing the digital scenery. And series fans also get an extra treat. Nathan McKane finally shows up in the flesh, played with moustache-twirling panache by Callum McGowan.
The ensemble also appears in four themed side stories. These include additional narrative-flavoured excursions – originally available as DLC – that come bundled in the Switch 2 edition. Rise of Ravenwest, which shows how the rival team was shaped, and Winter Bash, which leans into more chaotic gameplay, are the highlights.
The narrative framing is brilliant stuff and a consistently entertaining way to guide you through the game’s cars and event types, all of which demonstrate Grid Legends’ racing credentials.
Most importantly, Grid Legends is impressive where it really matters. The game lives in that inviting middle ground of being weightier than a pure arcade racer, but not so strict that you need a driving wheel and a degree in engineering just to survive a corner. It’s approachable and welcoming, yet there’s depth on offer for those keen to test their driving prowess via a simple tuning system.
A wealth of assists also helps you find the right balance. That’s especially useful given this edition’s other slight drawback: the lack of analogue triggers on Nintendo Switch 2 and the Pro Controller 2.
Feral Interactive has taken the same approach it used on Grid Autosport. One option is a control preset that binds throttle and brake to the right analogue stick, giving you precise, graduated input. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you rewire your brain, it feels surprisingly natural and is an entirely viable way to enjoy the game. If you prefer proper analogue triggers, the game also supports the official Nintendo Switch Online GameCube controller, which works well.
Personally, I stuck with the digital ZR and ZL inputs and had few issues. They do require a slight shift in how you play compared to other platforms, particularly when you’re trying to modulate braking into tighter corners, but as I tend to lean towards the casual end of the spectrum, it worked just fine.
The same philosophy of choice extends to the game’s visual options. The game includes graphics and performance settings for both docked and handheld play. In docked mode, you can essentially choose between 30fps and 60fps, trading a little visual polish for smoother racing. In handheld, Balanced and Battery Saver modes are also available, and they’re handy for eking out a bit more playtime from the Switch 2 battery.
In practice, the usual trade-off applies. Favouring performance softens the image a touch, but in a racer, smoothness is usually the priority. Thankfully, the game remains handsome regardless of your choice.
Grid Legends on Switch 2 feels like the culmination of two things. It’s another demonstration of Codemasters’ talent for creating welcoming, exciting driving experiences, and another showcase of Feral Interactive’s aptitude for making ambitious ports feel effortless.
Aside from the lack of online multiplayer, Grid Legends delivers the full package with heaps of content, smart graphics options, and enough control flexibility to work around Nintendo’s trigger decisions. If that feeling of déjà vu is back, it’s because Feral Interactive has delivered a port that sets the benchmark for real-world racing on Nintendo Switch 2.
Game: Grid Legends: Deluxe Edition
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: Codemasters, Feral Interactive
Publisher: Feral Interactive
Release Date: 29 January 2026
