From Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to Cruis’n Blast, there’s no shortage of fun racing games to play on Nintendo Switch. There is, however, a distinct lack of authentic racing games with licensed cars and real racing circuits on the portable platform. Yes, there’s Gear.Club Unlimited 2, but the game’s subpar visuals, shoddy controls, and short races can’t hide its mobile origins.
Granted, the Switch’s lack of analogue controls isn’t ideal for realistic racing simulations. But there’s a gap in the market here that GRID Legends could fill.
Will GRID Legends come to Nintendo Switch?
Released in 2019, GRID Autosport is one of the best racing games on Nintendo Switch. It’s also the only semi-realistic racing game on the platform, with a variety of racing disciplines, authentic car handling, and real-world race tracks.
But considering it’s a port of the original 2014 game, GRID Autosport is showing its age on the Switch. This is where GRID Legends could come in.
When GRID Legends was announced, the Nintendo Switch was notably absent platform list. This could change, however. Speaking with SegmentNext, creative director Christopher Smith and creative director Steven Brand said that Codemasters would consider porting GRID Legends to Nintendo Switch – but only if there’s enough demand.
“There are no immediate plans and we are fully focused on launching across Xbox, PlayStation and PC,” Smith and Brand told SegmentNext. However, “if there is an appetite for it, then it’s something we would consider,” he said. For now, though, there is “nothing planned at this stage.”
With its simplified handling for casual players and thrilling racing action, GRID Legends looks like a good fit for the Switch. But if you want to play Codemasters’ latest racer on Nintendo’s hybrid console, Switch players need to show there’s enough interest to justify a port.
EA was a “real boost” for GRID Legends
During the interview, Smith and Brand also discussed EA’s involvement with GRID Legends after the company acquired Codemasters for $1.2 billion.
According to Smith and Brand, GRID Legends was “quite far along in development” when EA acquired Codemasters in 2020. That said, EA was “a real boost” for GRID Legends. Being acquired by EA gave Codemasters access to more developer resources than in previous GRID games.
“When EA saw GRID they simply asked how they could help,” Smith explained. “Joining EA means access to a lot of amazing resources Codemasters did not have, and we have worked closely with them during the final stages of development. EA has been a real boost in the final months of the game leading up to launch.”
Its bigger budget certainly shows in the new Driven to Glory story mode. Inspired by Drive to Survive, the live-action cut scenes were filmed using the same virtual production technology as The Mandalorian.
This technique superimposes the actors onto virtual backgrounds. “The modern documentary style has been achieved using live footage, on track captures and choreographed race events,” Smith and Brand explained.
We’ll find out if EA’s involvement has improved the GRID franchise soon. GRID Legends releases 25 February on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.