GRID Legends on Nintendo Switch 2: First Look at Graphics vs Performance Modes

The Checkered Flag Returns

Racers, start your engines—GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition is roaring onto the Nintendo Switch 2 this fall, and we’ve finally lifted the hood on what makes the portable powerhouse purr. Codemasters quietly slipped us the specs last week: two toggle-able modes that let players chase either blistering frame-rates or eye-watering fidelity.

Graphics Mode: 4K, Ray-Traced Reflections, 30 fps

Flip the switch to Graphics and the Switch 2’s revised Tegra SoC flexes its RT cores. Wet Brands Hatch glistens, chrome on the McLaren 720S mirrors grandstands in real time, and the London dusk feels almost humid. The trade-off? A locked 30 fps that, to our thumbs, still felt snappy thanks to the game’s aggressive motion-blur.

Performance Mode: 1080p, 120 fps, VRR Smoothness

Prefer your racing raw? Performance mode drops resolution to 1080p but unlocks the Switch 2’s 120 Hz display. During our night-session at Mount Panorama, frame-times hovered at 8.3 ms, while variable-refresh-rate kept screen-tear invisible. It’s the closest console experience yet to the high-refresh PC build—only this one fits in a backpack.

“We wanted players to choose their poison,” senior producer Laura McGhee told us over Zoom. “Whether you’re chasing lap records online or capturing photo-mode posters, the hardware should bend to the moment.”

Deluxe Extras Packed In

The Switch 2 Deluxe bundle includes all 24 post-launch racers, the “Senna Forever” story expansion, and a new exclusive livery inspired by the neon-soaked streets of Tokyo. Save files cloud-swap with the Steam and Xbox versions, so leaderboard rivals can follow you on the commute.

Bottom Line

After an hour hands-on, GRID Legends feels like the first showcase game that justifies Nintendo’s quiet confidence in its new silicon. Graphics mode dazzles; Performance mode dominates. Whichever you choose, the finish line just got closer.