When friends come over on the weekend and say they haven’t played Switch together in a while, they want to play racing games. Turning on the console, you find: no suitable games in the library, only one pair of Joy-Con, and even connecting to the TV feels like a hassle. This scenario is all too common—you want to get someone into racing, but you’re stuck at the first step.

Step 1: First, decide what to play

If you’ve played Nintendo consoles before, Nintendo game recommendations always put Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at the top of the list—it consistently ranks among the top three sellers on game charts, supports up to 4 players locally on the same screen, and the fun of item-based brawling has an extremely low barrier to entry; almost no one needs a tutorial. Conversely, if you’re both tired of Mario tracks and want a different vibe, consider two indie game recommendations: the Gear.Club Unlimited series leans toward realistic driving feel and vehicle customization, with a somewhat hardcore visual style; Horizon Chase Turbo is pure retro arcade style—floor the gas, drift through corners, and split-screen battles are a blast. Search for their demos on the eShop to try a lap without spending a penny and see if they’re your cup of tea.

Step 2: How to buy without regret

The scenario assumes friends are arriving soon, and waiting for delivery is definitely too late. The fastest method: directly open the eShop on the console, switch to the Japanese or Hong Kong server (flexible exchange rates), and try your luck in the discount section. Players in the Switch game recommendations community often share good digital deals on Xingba; if you also have a family membership for online play, you can join online tournaments together. If this is your first time with racing games, I actually recommend buying a used cartridge first—once you’re tired of it, you can resell it, and the cost is just the price of a bubble tea. One note: the eShop has quite a few racing titles, but many promising niche games have floaty controls. Check the trial videos and player reviews in the game encyclopedia before buying to avoid pitfalls.

Step 3: Pitfalls with controllers and screen casting

With only one pair of Joy-Con, two people can play Mario Kart 8 with one each, but the grip feels mediocre over long sessions, especially prone to accidental presses during sharp turns and drifts. To improve the experience, dig out your Pro Controller or third-party controllers—pair them in advance, don’t bother with Bluetooth setup when guests arrive. For screen casting, if you use the official Dock, just plug in HDMI and it’s done, with acceptable latency. But third-party docks are unreliable: I’ve tried several brands; some occasionally disconnect in Mario Kart 8, others can’t be recognized by the TV. If you have the official one, use it first, or search “Dock compatibility” on Xingba to see if anyone has feedback on the same dock for racing games.

Step 4: The last step before playing

Don’t rush into the race. First, open the game encyclopedia to check track features—for example, the shortcut locations and item box distributions in each cup of Mario Kart 8. Knowing where to take shortcuts can save several seconds. If playing Horizon Chase Turbo, it tests route memory and drift rhythm more; one mistake in three laps and it’s basically unrecoverable. If both of you want to play but don’t want to stick with racing games all the time, check out the two-player Switch games list on Xingba for cooperative games like Human: Fall Flat and Snipperclips, and rotate to avoid boredom. Choosing a racing mode is simple: for casual friends, item mode is lively; for hardcore players, pick racing mode for lap times. Don’t force others to adapt to your pace.

The core of racing games is solving the need to "sit down and go." Choose the right game, set up the controller, get the screen casting working, and the rest is just having fun whether you win or lose. Next time friends come over, just turn on the console and set up the track—it’s more convincing than any words.