WRC 10 slides onto Nintendo Switch today – but key features are missing at launch

Six months after launching on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, WRC 10 is out now on Nintendo Switch. It’s been a long wait, but Switch owners can finally play the official World Rally Championship game on the go.

There are a few caveats, however.

WRC 10 Nintendo Switch gameplay footage

The Switch version of WRC 10 was announced back in January, but no gameplay footage was released to show how it compares to other versions. Now, Kylotonn has released a launch trailer, giving us a first look at WRC 10 running on Nintendo’s hybrid console.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZzRZo5F4Ts

From the footage, the graphical downgrades are immediately noticeable. The car models lack reflections, but the environmental textures look low-res and the lighting looks flat. Tracks also look barren, with a noticeable reduction of trees and crowds.

Unfortunately, these compromises are necessary to optimise performance on the Switch’s less powerful hardware. If you want to play WRC 10 on the go with fewer compromises, it should be playable on Steam Deck. However, compatibility hasn’t been confirmed at the time of writing.   

The Switch doesn’t have a large selection of realistic racing games, so WRC 10 is a welcome addition to the console’s game library. Trouble is, the Switch doesn’t have analogue triggers. This means the triggers for the acceleration and braking are not pressure sensitive. As a result, playing WRC 10 on the Switch could be tricky as it requires precise inputs.

Missing features at launch

Despite launching several months later, WRC 10 is missing several key features on Switch. These include online events, leaderboards, the clubs system, co-drive mode, and online multiplayer.

As confirmed by French studio Kylotonn on social media, these features will be added in a post-release update. But it’s bewildering to see key features like online multiplayer missing at launch after extra development time.

https://twitter.com/WRCTheGame/status/1504382219191824384

Other than these features, all content from other versions of the game carries over. Celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the WRC, the Anniversary mode allows you to relive historic 23 events with classic cars and stages. All 52 official teams from the 2021 WRC season are present.

The Switch version also retains WRC 10’s career mode, as well as the livery editor and ability to create your own team. 

With WRC 10 out now on Switch, it’s only a matter of time until WRC 11 is announced. This year’s title will be Kylotonn’s last WRC game before Codemasters and EA take over the license.