Bringing a full-fat console racer to a portable system is never a small task. Yet with GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition, Feral Interactive has managed to squeeze Codemasters’ high-octane motorsport spectacle onto Nintendo Switch 2 with remarkable confidence. What arrives isn’t a stripped-back port or a compromised adaptation — it’s the complete GRID Legends experience, DLC and all, delivered with surprising visual clarity and a handling model that retains the series’ trademark blend of accessibility and precision.
This is arcade racing with simulation DNA. It’s dramatic, aggressive, and unapologetically fast, whether you’re blasting through circuits docked on a big screen or carving corners in handheld mode.
A Racer That Thrives on Rivalry
At its heart, GRID Legends is about wheel-to-wheel conflict. AI drivers don’t just follow racing lines — they defend positions, make mistakes, and hold grudges. Rivalries form naturally during races, with competitors becoming more aggressive if you push them too hard.
This gives every event a layer of personality that many racers lack. You’re not simply racing laps; you’re battling a field of drivers who react to your style. Dive-bomb a corner and you might find yourself being squeezed on the next straight. Play clean and you’ll often be given room.
It’s this dynamic AI behaviour that makes even standard circuit races feel alive.
10 Disciplines, One Racing Playground
Variety is one of GRID Legends’ strongest assets. The game spans 10 different racing disciplines, including GT, hypercars, trucks, open-wheelers, electric racers, and even demolition derby-style events.
Each discipline feels distinct in how vehicles handle and how races unfold. Trucks are heavy and unwieldy, demanding careful braking. Open-wheelers are twitchy and lightning-fast. Hypercars sit somewhere in between, offering raw speed with manageable control.
Switching between these disciplines keeps the career mode from ever feeling stale. You’re constantly adapting to new driving styles and race formats.
Handling That Balances Arcade and Simulation
Codemasters has always excelled at creating handling models that appeal to both casual and serious players, and that balance remains intact here.
Cars feel weighty without being sluggish. Drifting slightly wide on a corner feels natural rather than punishing. Braking zones reward precision but don’t demand perfection. It’s a forgiving system that still allows skilled drivers to shave seconds off lap times through mastery.
On Switch 2, this handling translates beautifully. Controls feel responsive in both handheld and docked modes, with no noticeable input lag.
Driven to Glory – A Motorsport Drama
One of GRID Legends’ most unusual features is its live-action story mode, Driven to Glory. Presented as a documentary-style motorsport drama, it follows the fictional Seneca Racing team as they rise through the GRID World Series.
Full-motion video scenes with real actors add a cinematic flavour rarely seen in racing games. While the storyline can feel slightly melodramatic at times, it provides context and motivation between events, giving the career structure more narrative weight.
It’s not essential to the racing experience, but it adds personality and a sense of progression beyond just ticking off events.
Career Mode and Race Creator Freedom
Outside of the story mode, the traditional career is vast. Events are grouped into series, each offering different challenges and vehicle types. Progression feels rewarding, with new vehicles and opportunities unlocking at a steady pace.
Then there’s the Race Creator, one of the game’s best features. This mode allows you to customise races with specific cars, tracks, weather conditions, and rules. Want trucks racing in the rain at night? You can do that. Fancy a hypercar elimination event? Go for it.
This freedom adds immense replayability and allows players to tailor the experience to their preferences.
All DLC Included – A Packed Deluxe Edition
The Deluxe Edition comes fully loaded with all DLC content, which significantly expands the base game. The Classic Car-Nage demolition derby mode offers chaotic, destructive fun. Endurance Mode introduces longer, more strategic races. Additional cars, tracks, and story events flesh out the experience even further.
This isn’t a light package. It’s an enormous amount of content available from the start.
Visuals That Impress on Switch 2
Perhaps the most surprising aspect is how good GRID Legends looks on Switch 2. Feral Interactive has done an excellent job optimising the game for the hardware. Cars are detailed, tracks are vibrant, and the sensation of speed is convincing.
Weather effects, lighting, and trackside details all contribute to a presentation that feels far beyond what portable racers typically achieve. In handheld mode, the clarity is particularly impressive, maintaining sharp visuals without sacrificing performance.
Where It Shows Its Limits
While the port is impressive, there are moments where texture detail and environmental density are slightly reduced compared to high-end console versions. Load times can also be noticeable between races.
These are minor compromises in the grand scheme, but they are present if you’re looking closely.
A Racer That Respects Your Time
One of GRID Legends’ strengths is how easy it is to jump in and out. Races are short enough for quick sessions, but the depth of modes and progression encourages longer play.
Whether you have 10 minutes or an hour, the game fits comfortably into your schedule — an important factor for portable play.
Final Verdict
GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 is a triumph of optimisation and design. It delivers a content-rich, visually impressive, and mechanically satisfying racing experience that feels right at home both on the big screen and in your hands.
With dynamic AI rivalries, a huge variety of disciplines, and a wealth of included DLC, this is one of the most complete racing packages available on the system.
