Prepare to have your next few family Christmases ruined by multiplayer-related arguments: the Nintendo Switch 2 has been revealed and is arriving on 5 June. It brings with it a sizeable confirmed library of both brand new games and re-released classics, among them some fascinating racers.
Since it’s a handheld Nintendo product, don’t expect any serious sim racers for the time being. As before, the Switch 2 is a much more casual affair for pick-up-and-play fun and causing friend and family get-togethers to descend into shouting matches. This is reflected in the lineup of racing games confirmed for the platform so far, which we’ve listed here.
Mario Kart World
As is so often the case with a new Nintendo console, one of the big-hitter launch titles for the Switch 2 is a new entry in the Mario Kart franchise.
Mario Kart World looks set to deliver much of what we’ve come to know and love from the long-running kart racer series but with a couple of added features. There are new rail grinding and wall-riding mechanics, but more significantly, there’s an open-world free-roam map for the first time. Read more about it here.
Kirby Air Riders
Mario isn’t the only beloved Nintendo character to have had their own power-up-fuelled casual racer. Bulbous pink inhalation enthusiast Kirby got in on the action with 2003’s Kirby Air Ride, which is getting an unexpected sequel for the Switch 2, confusingly titled Kirby Air Riders.
Like the original, it looks like it’s going to deliver a very Mario Kart-ish style of play, but with a slightly more outlandish selection of (mostly hovering) vehicles and a 2025-appropriate graphical makeover. It’ll launch at some point in 2025.
Fast Fusion
Fast Fusion screenshot
The third entry in the Fast franchise of futuristic hovership racers in the image of the F-Zero and Wipeout series, Fast Fusion claims to be “the fastest racing game you may have ever experienced.”
That speed will be enhanced by a touted 60fps framerate, and the game is also set to feature customisable vehicles with “antigravity hyper jump technology.” We don’t know what that is, but it sounds exciting. It’ll be a launch title for the Switch 2, arriving on 5 June.
F-Zero GX
F-Zero GX screenshot
If you prefer your hovership racer with a dash of early noughties nostalgia, though, one of the best entries in the F-Zero franchise is getting a Switch re-release – 2003’s F-Zero GX, originally released for the GameCube.
It’s part of the classic GameCube library included with the subscription-based Switch Online + Expansion Pack and will be available to subscribers at the Switch 2’s launch. Graphical enhancements are promised, and it’ll also feature four-player local and online multiplayer.
Ridge Racer
Riiiiiiiiiiidge Racer! Ahem, excuse us. Yep, the original entry in the drifty Ridge Racer franchise, launched as an arcade title in 1993 before getting a PlayStation port in 1994, is getting a re-release on the Switch 2.
It comes courtesy of Hamster Corporation’s Arcade Archives 2 series of classic arcade game ports and will bring a couple of new features, including a rewind mechanic and the ability to have multiple saves. Weirdly, we’re also promised wheel, clutch and H-pattern shifter support, despite none of these things being confirmed for the Switch 2 generally. This too will be a 5 June launch title.
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