The best Nintendo Switch 2 racing games in 2026

If you’re looking for the best Nintendo Switch 2 racing games to play in 2026, look no further.

Launched in June 2025, the Nintendo Switch 2 is the fastest-selling console ever. Compared to the original, it boasts a larger screen, a more powerful processor and redesigned Joy-Con controllers.

Admittedly, its improvements feel iterative, offering little innovation beyond the gimmicky mouse controls. But judging from its strong sales, the ability to switch between a home console and a hybrid is clearly a winning formula.

With a stellar launch lineup and a comprehensive catalogue of backwards compatible titles, the Switch 2 is already proving to be an excellent platform for playing racing games on the go. That said, its lack of pressure-sensitive triggers is a disappointing omission, meaning you can’t modulate acceleration and braking in driving games.

It’s worth noting that the Switch 2 is backwards compatible with most Switch 1 games. That means you can import your Switch racing game library to the Switch 2 and enjoy games like Burnout Paradise, Cruis’n Blast and GRID Autosport on the new console, with some titles benefiting from improved performance.

However, our list only includes native titles for Nintendo’s latest console. Without further ado, these are our picks for the best Switch 2 racing games. We will update this list as more native Switch 2 racing games are released.   

8. Arcade Archives 2: Ridge Racer

Ridge Racer used to be a quintessential console launch title. It famously showcased the prowess of the original PlayStation with its revolutionary polygonal graphics, bringing the arcade experience home. Fittingly, Ridge Racer has returned as one of several driving games that launched alongside the Switch 2.

This isn’t a new entry, however. Part of Hamster Corporation’s Arcade Archives 2 series, it’s a perfect port of the 1993 arcade classic – the first time the original arcade version has been released on a home console.  

While the retro visuals and techno soundtrack are retained, the new home port is updated with a new Time Attack mode and multiple save slots for convenience.  

Considering you only get one track (albeit with multiple layouts), the £14.99/$17.99 asking price is a tad steep, but Ridge Racer remains one of the purest arcade racers that still holds up today. Few racing games can match the euphoria of executing a perfect drift around a tight corner in Ridge Racer.

7. Gear.Club Unlimited 3

Gear.Club started as a mobile game, but the series has since become a Nintendo Switch staple. The latest instalment is no different. A timed Switch 2 exclusive, Gear.Club Unlimited 3 sees players compete in road races across the French Riviera’s coastal roads and Japan’s countryside and highways.

Although it’s helmed by Test Drive Unlimited’s former developer, Eden Games, this is a traditional track-based racer rather than an open-world game. The third entry sees you get behind the wheel of a small, yet well-curated selection of licensed cars, from the Mazda RX-7 cover car to the McLaren 720S. Just don’t expect to drive the latest models: only four were manufactured this decade, with the newest being the 2024 Bentley Bacalar.

In terms of game modes, Highway Rush, which sees you weave through rush hour traffic to keep your bar topped up, is a particular highlight. Duel mode, on the other hand, unashamedly borrows from Tokyo Xtreme Racer, with you depleting an opponent’s health bar as you get further ahead of them.  

Unfortunately, the launch was marred by performance issues, blurry visuals in handheld mode and slow AI. Thankfully, recent updates have addressed some of these problems.

With its small car roster, lack of real-world racing circuits and arcade-style handling, Gear.Club Unlimited 3 isn’t the Switch 2’s to Gran Turismo or Forza. That said, there aren’t many games on Nintendo’s platform that let you drive licensed road cars, and upgrading your headquarters by installing workshops and expanding your car collection is absorbing.

6. Asphalt Legends Switch 2 Edition

While Asphalt Legends was already playable on the new platform via backwards compatibility, the Switch 2 Edition increases the resolution to 1440p in TV mode and 1080p in handheld mode. Both modes run at a stable 60fps, while also offering enhanced visual effects. As a result, the Switch 2 Edition offers the most polished version of the long-running Asphalt series yet on a portable device.

The latest entry in the long-running arcade racing series stays true to its roots. Races are unapologetically over-the-top, with massive jumps, spectacular crashes and physics-defying loops. With a lengthy career mode and a huge roster of cars from manufacturers including Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.  

It’s also free to play, making it widely available for all Switch 2 owners. This is a blessing and a curse, however, as cars run out of fuel until fuel is reset or topped up with microtransactions. Its mobile roots also show in its multitude of convoluted currency systems. 

Nevertheless, its bite-sized races are ideal for playing in short bursts if you need a quick arcade racing fix on the go. Despite being based on the eight-year-old Asphalt 9, Gameloft still regularly updates Legends, with live service updates that bring new cars, game modes and limited-time events to engage loyal players.   

5. Kirby Air Riders

The original Kirby Air Ride was largely overlooked when it was released on the GameCube over 20 years ago. And so, it came as a surprise when Nintendo announced a Switch 2-exclusive sequel in the form of Kirby Air Riders, helmed by original series creator Masahiro Sakurai. 

At its core, this is a combat racer where you race a variety of hoverboard-style ‘machines’ (a few vehicles like the chariot have wheels) across vibrant environments, with many locations returning from the original game.

The controls are incredibly accessible: automatic acceleration lets you focus on steering and tilting your vehicle with the left stick, while the B button handles boosting, drifting, and attacking opponents.

Beyond the cutesy graphics and simplistic controls lies a surprising amount of depth. Boosting is a careful balancing act, since charging your boost temporarily slows your vehicle, and drifting around corners requires precision.  

You can also perform special attacks and steal abilities from enemies by hitting them. The result is like a mash-up of Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. That said, the control scheme isn’t perfect: it’s too easy to accidentally activate spin attacks by flicking the left stick.

With a variety of game modes, Kirby Air Riders feels like four distinct games in one. Alongside standard races and time trials, City Trial returns from the original GameCube release, and it’s even crazier than before.

This mode sees you collecting power-ups in a free-roaming city while completing quirky Mario Kart-style challenges, from gobbling up food items to bashing boxes within a time limit. It’s a fun and silly diversion, but the sheer amount of on-screen chaos can be disorienting, with up to 16 characters battling it out. Some of the minigames are also far too brief.

Elsewhere, Top Ride returns in the form of mini races played from an overhead perspective, but it’s the new Road Trip mode that stands out. Featuring a nonsensical narrative replete with cut scenes and boss battles, it sees you travel on a never-ending road with branching paths and random minigames. 

It may lack the mainstream appeal of Mario Kart World and have fewer characters and tracks, but Kirby Air Riders is colourful, charming and brilliantly bonkers.

4. GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition

Like its predecessor, the Switch 2 isn’t rife with serious racing games featuring licensed cars and realistic handling, principally because it lacks analogue controllers. GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition finally fills this void.

It may not be a hardcore simulator, but its semi-realistic handling, diverse racing disciplines and comprehensive career mode make it the closest experience to Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport on the Switch 2. There’s also a unique story mode alongside the traditional career mode with live-action cutscenes inspired by Drive to Survive.  

Helmed by Feral Interactive, the studio behind the Switch version of GRID Autosport, this is a near-perfect port with a wealth of graphics and performance options to tailor the experience.

Despite initially releasing on PC and consoles in 2022, GRID Legends remains a thoroughly enjoyable arcade-style racer that’s in a league of its own on Switch 2.

With over 100 cars, 22 locations (including real and fictional circuits) and all post-launch DLC included, the Deluxe Edition offers excellent value. Aside from the lack of online multiplayer, its only shortcoming is the absence of online or local multiplayer.

3. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

While the original Switch version of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds was backwards compatible on Nintendo’s new console at launch, the native Switch 2 release was delayed for several months. Thankfully, it was well worth the wait.

The Switch 2 version trumps the original in every way, running at a higher resolution and, crucially, maintaining a faster 60fps frame rate, making it feel significantly better to play. As a result, Sega’s kart racer shines on Switch 2.

What also makes it easy to recommend is that the Switch 2 upgrade costs only £10/$10 if you already own the original, or it’s available standalone for new players. For collectors, a physical version will be released in 2026 on a proper cartridge rather than a game key-card.

Whether it dethrones Mario Kart is up for debate, but CrossWorlds’ unique gameplay mechanics set it apart. With its faster, more chaotic pace akin to a classic arcade racer, unique Travel Rings transporting you to new worlds and a deep vehicle upgrade system, it’s certainly a worthy challenger, though it lacks the graphical polish of its main rival.

Sega is set to support CrossWorlds throughout 2026, with new characters and tracks joining the roster via free updates and a paid season pass, including the likes of Pac-Man and Mega Man.

2. Fast Fusion

While Nintendo continues to neglect F-Zero. Shin’en Multimedia’s superb Fast Racing series has been filling the void since the first entry, Fast Racing League, on the Wii.

A sequel to Fast RMX, Fast Fusion is the latest entry, launching alongside the Switch 2. Its title alludes to its new Fusion mechanic, where ship parts can be fused together to create unique vehicles with boosted stats.

Other than that, Fast Fusion offers a familiar experience if you’ve already played its predecessor. The signature boosting mechanic returns, requiring you to swap your ship’s engine colour to match the corresponding boost pad to get an extra speed boost. As you hurtle around the science-fiction-style tracks, the sense of speed is intoxicating. Visually, it’s easily one of the visually dazzling Switch 2 games so far.     

With fewer tracks than RMX and no online multiplayer, Fast Fusion is light on content, but free updates are adding more content. At only £13.49/$14.99, it’s commendably cheap, making it irresistibly good value. Fast Fusion is a must-have for futuristic racing fans and a technical showpiece of the Switch 2. For now, it’s the next best thing to a new WipEout or F-Zero game.

1. Mario Kart World

Was there any doubt that Mario Kart World would top our list of the best Switch 2 racing games? Of course not.

With over 68 million copies sold, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling Nintendo Switch game. When combined with the Wii U’s Mario Kart 8, it’s the best-selling racing game of all time. With that in mind, Nintendo Switch 2 flagship launch title was always going to be a new Mario Kart game.    

Mario Kart World could have been a lazy sequel with new locations and characters. Instead, it reinvigorates the formula in meaningful ways. A revamped Grand Prix mode features interlinked circuits, where you drive between tracks on connecting roads. It’s still fundamentally Mario Kart, but on a grander scale.

These locations can be explored in a new free roam mode, but it’s not intrinsic – don’t mistake Mario Kart World for an open-world racer on par with Forza Horizon. While aimlessly cruising around the colourful circuits can be fun, the environments feel empty, there are no unique races and the P Switch mini challenges offer little lasting appeal. As a result, free roam feels like an afterthought.

The new Knockout Tour mode partially makes up for this. A battle royale-style race across six locations where the final five racers are eliminated at each checkpoint, its nail-biting intensity makes it a standout addition, particularly when played in local or online multiplayer.

With the number of on-track racers increased from 12 to 24, the on-track action is more chaotic than ever – sometimes too chaotic when you are constantly getting pulverised by powerups.

Mario Kart World has fewer tracks than its predecessor, but each location is impeccably designed, with a mix of new and returning circuits. Standout new additions include DK Spaceport, where you must avoid barrels thrown by Donkey Kong, and the desert-themed Mario Bros. Circuit. The reimagined Rainbow Road is also magnificent.

Like previous games, Mario Kart World shines in multiplayer. If you have friends over, Mario Kart is still the undisputed king of party racers.

Future updates will surely expand Mario Kart World with more circuits, characters and game modes for years to come. It’s going to take something special to knock Mario Kart World off the top of the podium.