WRC 9 Switch Review: A Portable Rally Experience
WRC 9 has already been made available across plenty of platforms. The initial release of the racing game came to the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, before the title received a new generation update that brought with it some solid improvements. Now, developer Kylotonn and publisher Nacon have made the title available on the Nintendo Switch to bring even more coverage.
For the uninitiated, WRC 9 is the latest official World Rally Championship game, bringing the player into the thrilling world of offroad rally racing. Included are official tracks from the World Rally Championship, a comprehensive career mode as its main single player mode, as well as lots of extra bits and bobs including historic cars from rallying history. It’s a strong game for fans of the sport.
The version for the Nintendo Switch brings with it the same features that the other WRC 9 releases have seen so far. It includes all of the additional content and DLC that has released for the game since it first released in September of last year, so players won’t be missing out on any overall content by picking up the Switch version. Given the travesties that are other Switch entries in sports series, particularly FIFA where the Switch version lags several years behind those seen on other platforms, it’s good to see that Nintendo players aren’t being left out.
However, it’s fair to say that the Switch version of WRC 9 doesn’t quite compare to another recent release for the title. The excellent PS5 version is certainly a better overall game, with superior visual quality, although that’s undoubtedly expected given the new hardware that the PS5 is able to call on to give a smoother experience. That said, the Switch version still looks fine, even if it can’t compete with the version of WRC 9 that is now available for the new console generation.
Another big difference to be felt is the simplicity of the Switch controllers. PS5 players have truly been spoilt by the DualSense controller when it comes to racing games, with even the slightest improvements in terms of haptic feedback and nuanced vibration giving racing games a tactile quality that other platforms can’t match. As great as the Switch Pro Controller is, it simply can’t compare to the DualSense – although those who haven’t had the opportunity to use the DualSense yet won’t feel that difference.
Of course, the main selling point of the Switch is its versatility, with the ability to swap between playing on the big screen and playing games in handheld mode. WRC 9 doesn’t look at its best when played portably, with a familiar significant graphical downgrade that brings with it noticeably longer load times, but when actually racing it feels surprisingly smooth. If players don’t mind a bit of a basic look, WRC 9 is a decent pick to play on the go.
That leaves the Switch port in an interesting place on the market. It’s unlikely to appeal to those who want the highest visual quality; after all, those who want top tier frame rates and fidelity will have turned their attention to the PC or PS5 versions of the game already. However, Switch owners who haven’t had the opportunity to play the title on another platform can feel confident that the Switch version is up to scratch.
Nintendo consoles haven’t always had the best reputation with third party sports and racing games, where releases are sometimes streamlined. Thankfully, that’s not the case with WRC 9, which is still a deep and challenging racing game. It may not be as flash as the PS5 version, but this Switch release is nothing to be sniffed at.
WRC 9 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, and releases 11 March for Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a Switch download code for the purposes of this review.
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