GRID Autosport

Genre: Racing Simulation

Players: 1-2 Competitive (Local Split-Screen), 2-8 Competitive (Local Wireless, Online)

The Nintendo Switch 2 Difference

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Review:

Note: I originally reviewed this game here, but in the time since that review, the game has been updated in a way that adds a few features and addresses one of the biggest complaints I had with the game – the lack of multiplayer play. As such, I felt it only fair to give this game a second look. As most of what I wrote about the game before still applies, I will be copy-pasting the majority of my earlier review here, but I will be updating it to include my thoughts on these new features.

GRID Autosport is a Racing Simulation game, a genre that the Nintendo Switch has in desperately short supply. This game is an updated port of a game originally released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC in 2014, and not to be confused with Grid, a sequel in the series released to other platforms at roughly the same time as this game released on the Nintendo Switch in 2019… nor with the game’s predecessor, Race Driver: Grid. Yeah, it’s confusing. GRID Autosport is actually the ninth game in the TOCA series (or the eleventh, depending on how you count), and for the sake of this article, I will be referring to this game as GRID in all-caps.

GRID has garnered a lot of attention not only for being pretty much the only game in town when it comes to quality Racing Sims on the Switch, but also for the love and care put into this particular port of the game. The Nintendo Switch version is loaded with console-exclusive features that make it the definitive console version of the game, with graphical upgrades over the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, as well as making use of the unique features of the Nintendo Switch, including a few features that even Nintendo Switch games rarely use.

The one that’s gotten the most attention, of course, is this game’s use of the analog triggers on the GameCube controller, for those players who have a GameCube adapter. As I understand it, this is only the second Nintendo Switch game to make use of this feature (the first being Trials Rising), and if you have an adapter and a GameCube controller, this feature is well worth making use of, as the subtlety it adds when deciding whether to put the pedal to the medal or using a feather touch can make a great amount of difference in a race. The game is perfectly playable using more standard Nintendo Switch controllers, of course, but it’s wonderful that the game’s developers worked this option into the game, and I wish more Nintendo Switch developers would follow suit.

In the time since this game launched, it also got an additional update that supports both the HORI Racing wheel as well as the Nintendo LABO Toy-Con 03: Racing Kit‘s steering wheel and pedal. While I don’t have the HORI pedal on-hand to review, I do have the LABO steering wheel and tested it out. While it is a novel and interesting approach to controls, I can’t say it’s a very practical one. The lack of any way for the LABO steering wheel to detect a “neutral” position means that getting your car to drive straight isn’t always easy. Also, I found myself repeatedly having the controls seem to reverse on me when I turned the wheel too far, starting to steer in the opposite direction. Suffice it to say, while those with a LABO steering wheel may be tempted to try it out with this game, I can’t realistically see most players preferring it to a GameCube controller, a standard controller, or the more professionally-bade HORI wheel.

While the control options are one of the most attention-grabbing changes present in this release of the game, there’s definitely more going on here. In handheld mode, this game can make use of motion controls to give players the option to steer by tilting the Switch, and while I don’t generally care for this sort of motion control, I found that it actually works pretty well in this game. Again, not a feature that everyone will want to make use of, but definitely one I’m grateful for having.

The other big change here, as I noted earlier, is the change to the graphics, with the Nintendo Switch version of the game bumping up the resolution to 1080p in docked mode (720p in handheld mode). What’s more, the game includes options to play in graphics mode or performance mode, with the latter mode stripping out visual effects like shadows and motion blur in order to bump the framerates up from graphics mode’s rock-solid 30FPS to framerates that range from 45FPS-60FPS. While some may prefer the visual flair and framerate consistency of the graphics mode, honestly I felt that the boost to the framerates performance mode provided was far preferable.

Oh, and in addition to these two modes, playing the game in handheld mode gives players a third graphics option that lets them play with lower framerates and low visual effects to reduce the strain on the battery. Again, not something that everyone will want to make use of, but I still really appreciate that it’s there for those who do want to make use of it.

While the Switch version of this game does beat the visuals of other versions of the game, I will say that this game still doesn’t strike me as having the same level of detailed visual quality as Sony’s Gran Turismo series or Microsoft’s Forza series. It also doesn’t have the same flashy presentation as more arcadey racers like Asphalt 9 Legends. Don’t get me wrong, this game looks very good, but it’s not quite what I would consider a showpiece for the Switch.

As for the content of the game itself, this is still the same quality Racing Sim that came out in 2014, with a good selection of cars and tracks, a nice campaign mode, great controls, and overall great gameplay that incorporates multiple racing disciplines. GRID makes use of a nice feature called Flashback that lets players rewind the race in real-time if they make a mistake, which makes for an interesting visual as everything flows in reverse and also keeps one bad mistake from ruining an otherwise great race.

Personally, I prefer simulation racing games that let me collect cars as I complete goals, so this game just letting players select the cars they want right off the bat isn’t quite my cup of tea. Also, in my prior review of this game, I noted my disappointment at the lack of online multiplayer. While the former complaint is one of personal preference, the latter is more of a concrete issue with the game, and one that the game’s developers have now addressed in a patch that adds online support back into the Nintendo Switch version of the game.

Testing out the online play, it seemed to work pretty flawlessly. I noticed no lag or any other issues, despite that some of my opponents were from the other side of the world. In addition, online play adds back in some elements of that car collecting stuff that I like so much, with players earning “money” in online races to expand their garage of vehicles, and needing to maintain them regularly. Frankly, now that online is actually in this game again, I have no real complaints about it, beyond the fact that I’m clearly outclassed by everyone else online (yeah, I admit it, Mario Kart and Burnout are probably more my speed).

Overall, I have to respect what was accomplished here. This is an excellent port that shows a lot of hard work and love clearly went into bringing this game to the Switch, taking an already-solid Racing Sim and not only improving the graphics, but adding in tons of options to give players plenty of choices in how to play the game. It is of course by default the best game of its kind on the Switch right now, but even more than that, this game is a shining example of an excellent port, as well as a great example of how to make a game better with post-release support, and other developers looking to port games to the Switch should take notice of GRID and learn from it. And needless to say, fans of Racing Sims looking for an oasis in the desert that is the genre’s showing on Nintendo Switch should consider this game a must-have.

tl;dr – GRID Autosport is a port of a 2014 Racing Sim that improves the graphics over the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, as well as adding a huge variety of options and different ways to play. This was already a solid Racing Sim before, and the improvements almost make this the definitive version, although the lack of analog triggers on most Nintendo Switch controllers are one noteworthy flaw (though one you can address with a GameCube controller if you have the adapter). Otherwise, this is an all-around excellent Racing Sim, and currently the best game in the genre on the Switch, a deserving honor even if there’s not much competition for that honor right now.

Grade: B+

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The Nintendo Switch 2 Difference

GRID Autosport

Genre: Racing Simulation

Players: 1-2 Competitive (Local Split-Screen), 2-8 Competitive (Local Wireless, Online)

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Review:

While it was initially in the batch of Nintendo Switch games that had issues on Nintendo Switch 2, GRID Autosport was cleared of issues on Nintendo Switch 2 within a few weeks of the hybrid console’s launch. As it happens, this brings with it a few improvements.

GRID was fairly unique on Nintendo Switch because it was one of a very select few Nintendo Switch games that could recognize analog triggers on a gamepad. This is even more impressive since Nintendo Switch controllers do not have analog triggers, and even third-party controllers with analog triggers do not have this analog input recognized on the Nintendo Switch.

To get around this, players could connect a Wii U GameCube adapter to the Nintendo Switch using up two USB ports, then connect a GameCube controller to one of the ports on the device, since the GameCube controller actually had the analog triggers that Nintendo Switch controllers lack. It’s a cumbersome roundabout way of getting this to work, but it does work, allowing for more subtle acceleration and braking for more precision vehicle control in the game.

On the Nintendo Switch 2, players can skip that entire jerry-rigging process and simply buy a Nintendo GameCube Controller for Nintendo Switch 2, which GRID recognizes right away as a GameCube controller without any need for additional accessories, complex syncing procedures, or even cables. Needless to say, this makes it much easier to play this game closer to the way it was meant to be played.

Beyond controller support, the improvements to GRID on Nintendo Switch 2 are minor, although they are there. Mainly, I noticed a slight improvement in loading times – it took me 26 seconds to load into a race from my profile in the game on Nintendo Switch, and about 20 seconds on Nintendo Switch 2. That’s not a massive improvement, but it’s an improvement nonetheless.

I didn’t notice any change to the visuals in graphics mode – that’s still capped at 30FPS 1080P. However, performance mode seems to have gotten a very slight improvement, now running at a solid 60FPS without any dips or drops I could detect. Again, this is a modest improvement – the game on Nintendo Switch ran fairly well, and playing it on Nintendo Switch 2 really just shaves off what few rough edges there were.

That’s not to say it looks like a next-gen game, in either visual mode – there’s still noticeable aliasing, people on the sides of tracks have pretty low-poly character models, and this game lacks a lot of the polish of a modern Racing game. Except, well, this is a Racing game from over a decade ago. And given that, I think it’s fair to say that the presentation here holds up exceptionally well.

In short, GRID was one of the best Racing games on the Nintendo Switch, and playing it on Nintendo Switch 2 doesn’t exactly transform the experience so much as it gives it more minor improvements that overall make it slightly better on Nintendo’s newer hardware. And until someone releases a Simulation-style Racing game natively on Nintendo Switch 2, this is still probably your best bet for a game in that genre on Nintendo Switch 2.

tl;dr – GRID Autosport is a port of a 2014 Racing Sim that improves the graphics over the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, as well as adding a huge variety of options and different ways to play. This was already a solid Racing Sim before, and the improvements the Nintendo Switch version makes (improved further on Nintendo Switch 2) make this the definitive version – just be sure to play with a GameCube controller. This is an all-around excellent Racing Sim, and currently the best game in the genre on the Switch, a deserving honor even if there’s not much competition for that honor right now.

Grade: B+

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