GRID Autosport Custom Edition: The Best Mobile Racing Game You Will Probably End Up Paying For

Updated November 2026 · Written by the NovaRunway editorial team

What Custom Edition Actually Is

Let's be precise, because the store listing is not.

GRID Autosport is Codemasters' 2014 racing game, ported to Android by Feral Interactive. It is a paid game. GRID Autosport Custom Edition is a separate, free-to-download version of that same port, with the content stripped back to a trial and the rest sold as individual packs.[reference:0]

The free portion is not a limited-time demo or an ad-supported shell. It includes three races with no adverts and no time locks, which is a more generous trial than most mobile games offer.[reference:1] That trial exists to answer one question: does the driving feel right to you? If it does, everything else is a purchase decision.

Owners of the full GRID Autosport game already have access to all Custom Edition content. This article is for the people starting from Custom Edition and deciding where to go next.

The Core Driving Experience: Simulation Weight, Arcade Accessibility

GRID Autosport occupies a specific lane in racing games. It is not a full simulator like Assetto Corsa, and it is not a pure arcade racer like Asphalt. It sits in the middle: cars have weight, braking matters, and cornering requires deliberate input rather than drifting on instinct.

Reviews of the mobile port consistently praise the realistic handling and the sense that the car behaves like a physical object rather than a sprite.[reference:2] Players coming from arcade racers will notice the difference immediately — lifting off the throttle mid-corner unsettles the car, and braking late into a turn usually ends in understeer. This is a game that rewards smooth inputs and punishes panic.

The structure is career-based rather than story-driven. You join a team, race in a discipline, and earn progression through results. There is no narrative mode, which some players see as a strength — the focus stays on driving rather than cutscenes.[reference:3] The full game contains roughly 50 cars and over 14 circuits, with the Custom Edition trial offering a slice of that roster.[reference:4]

The Paywall, Explained Properly

This is the section the store listing buries. Custom Edition sells content in two tiers.

Discipline Packs — $2.99 / £2.49 / €2.99 each

There are five of these: Touring, Endurance, Open Wheel, Tuner, and Street.[reference:5] Each pack unlocks a set of cars, a set of circuits, and the associated career events for that discipline. Buying any discipline pack also unlocks Time Attack, Custom Cup, and Checkpoint race types, which is a meaningful structural unlock rather than just car reskins.

Extra Content Packs — $1.99 / £1.79 / €1.99 each

These are Sprint and Touring Legends, smaller additions that expand the roster and events without opening a full discipline.[reference:7]

There is also a bundle that discounts the total if you buy everything together, and prices vary by region.[reference:8] The critical comparison is this: five discipline packs at $2.99 each is $14.95 before the extra packs. The full GRID Autosport game is a single purchase that includes all of it. If you want the whole career, buying Custom Edition piece by piece is the more expensive route. If you want one discipline and nothing else, Custom Edition is cheaper and more flexible.

Performance and the Hidden Settings File

The mobile port has a default rendering cap of 720p at 30 frames per second. That is not a bug — it is the baseline Feral chose to ensure the game runs on the widest range of supported devices.[reference:9]

What the settings menu does not tell you is that the cap can be changed. On Android, editing a preferences file in the game's data directory allows you to raise the internal resolution and the frame-rate limit.[reference:10] Players on stronger hardware have reported pushing the game to 1080p or higher and 60fps with varying degrees of stability. This is enthusiast territory — it requires a file manager and some patience — but it is the difference between the game looking like a good mobile port and looking genuinely close to the console release.

Performance on default settings is hardware-dependent. A Snapdragon 888+ runs the game at roughly 30fps on medium settings; lower-tier chips like the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 hover around 22fps and struggle to maintain smoothness.[reference:11] Devices with less RAM should expect the 30fps cap to be a ceiling rather than a floor. The supported device list in the store listing is extensive and specific, and it is worth checking before downloading — devices that cannot run the game are blocked from purchasing it, which at least prevents the worst outcome.

Controls: Four Schemes, One Caveat

Custom Edition offers four control schemes: Tilt, Wheel Touch, Arrow Touch, and Gamepad. Tilt steering is frequently singled out as feeling natural on a phone, and it is the scheme most players gravitate toward for casual sessions.[reference:12]

The caveat is customisation. Reviews of the Custom Edition specifically complain that on-screen buttons cannot be resized or repositioned, and that touch inputs occasionally feel unresponsive.[reference:13][reference:14] This is a more significant issue than it sounds. Racing games require precise, consistent input, and a button that does not respond exactly when pressed is a real problem on a tight corner.

A controller is the single biggest upgrade for this game. It is not required, but the difference in precision is large, and players who try both tend to describe the touch controls as workable rather than ideal.[reference:15] If you already own a Bluetooth gamepad, use it.

Visuals, Sound and the “Console Port” Claim

The store listing calls it console-quality, which is marketing language. The more honest assessment is that it is the best-looking racing game on mobile, and that this is not a controversial claim even years after release.[reference:16]

Reviews consistently praise the graphics, the car detail, and the sound design — one long-time player specifically noted that the audio clarity exceeds GRID Legends, with sharper engine notes and better spatial separation.[reference:17] The environments and lighting hold up at the default 720p, and they scale well if you edit the settings file.

What the visuals do not fix is the interior modelling. Some cockpit views are noticeably lower resolution than the exterior, which is a reminder that this is a port of a 2014 game rather than a ground-up mobile build. It does not undermine the driving, but it is visible.

Storage, Requirements and Compatibility

The base install is 1.5 GB. With all content packs, that rises to 6 GB, and Feral recommends having 8 GB free to avoid installation problems. That is not a trivial amount of space on a phone, and it is worth clearing room before you start rather than during the download.

The game requires Android 9.0 (Pie) or later. The supported device list covers a wide range of Samsung Galaxy S and Note models, Google Pixel devices from the Pixel 2 onward, OnePlus phones, select Huawei, Motorola, Sony, and Asus ROG devices, and several Galaxy Tab tablets. If your device is not listed but is still allowed to purchase the game, it will run but is not officially supported. If it is not allowed to purchase, it will not run at all.

Beginner Tips for the Custom Edition Trial

• Use the trial to test the handling, not the content. Three races is enough to know whether the weight and braking model suit you. If it feels wrong, no DLC pack will fix it.
• Start with Tilt steering. It is the most natural scheme on a phone, and it avoids the button responsiveness issues that affect touch layouts.
• Check the full game price before buying packs. Do the arithmetic first. If you want more than two disciplines, the full GRID Autosport purchase is usually the better deal.
• Buy one discipline pack, not all five. The modular model only makes sense if you exercise restraint. Pick the discipline you actually want to race.
• Edit the settings file only if you are comfortable with file management. Raising the resolution and frame cap can transform the look of the game, but it can also introduce instability on hardware that cannot sustain it.
• Close background apps before playing. This is a demanding port, and memory pressure causes stutters that are easily avoided.
• Expect to re-learn braking. If you are coming from arcade racers, brake earlier than feels necessary. The car carries more momentum than the visuals suggest.

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Exceptional console-quality visuals and sound for mobile	Free download is a trial, not the full game
Simulation-leaning handling that rewards smooth driving	Buying all DLC costs more than the full game
Modular pricing lets you pay only for the discipline you want	On-screen buttons cannot be resized or repositioned
No adverts or time locks in the free portion	Touch input can feel unresponsive in tight situations
Tilt steering works well on a phone	Default 720p/30fps cap requires file editing to exceed
Fully offline once installed	Large install size (up to 6 GB with all packs)
Controller support transforms the experience	Older or lower-tier devices struggle at default settings

Who Should Play It

Try the free trial if you want to know whether a serious racing game works on your phone before spending anything. The three-race trial costs nothing and answers that question honestly. If the handling clicks and you only care about one discipline, the modular model is genuinely good value.

Buy the full GRID Autosport instead if you want the complete career, more than two disciplines, or the flexibility to switch between racing types. The full game is the cheaper route to the whole package, and owners of the main game already have all Custom Edition content.

Skip it if you need precise touch controls without a controller, or if your device is not on the supported list and you are not prepared for performance compromises. It is also worth skipping if you dislike the idea of a free download that is functionally a storefront — the trial is generous, but the paywall is real.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is GRID Autosport Custom Edition free?

The download is free and includes a three-race trial with no adverts or time limits. The full game content is sold as paid discipline packs and extra content packs. It is not a complete free game.

Do I need to buy the DLC?

No, but the free trial is limited to three races. To access the full career, additional disciplines and the wider car and track roster, you need to purchase packs or buy the full GRID Autosport game.

What is the difference between Custom Edition and the full GRID Autosport?

Custom Edition is a free trial with modular paid content. The full GRID Autosport is a single paid purchase that includes all Custom Edition content. Owners of the full game already have access to everything in Custom Edition.

How much does the DLC cost?

Discipline packs are approximately $2.99 / £2.49 / €2.99 each, and extra content packs are approximately $1.99 / £1.79 / €1.99 each. Prices vary by region, and a bundle discount is available if you buy everything together.

Why does the game look capped at 30fps?

The default rendering cap is 720p at 30fps to ensure compatibility across the supported device range. On Android, the cap can be raised by editing a preferences file in the game's data directory. This is optional and may affect stability depending on your hardware.

Can I use a controller?

Yes. Custom Edition supports gamepads alongside Tilt, Wheel Touch and Arrow Touch schemes. A controller significantly improves input precision for racing.

Does it work offline?

Yes. Once installed, the game runs without an internet connection.

How much space does it need?

The base install is 1.5 GB. With all content packs installed, it requires 6 GB, and Feral recommends having at least 8 GB free to avoid installation issues.

Will it run on my phone?

Check the supported device list in the store listing. Devices that cannot run the game are blocked from purchasing it. If your device is not listed but is allowed to purchase, it will run but is not officially supported.

Availability and Pricing

GRID Autosport Custom Edition is developed for Android by Feral Interactive and is based on the Codemasters racing game. It is free to download with optional paid content packs. The full GRID Autosport is a separate paid purchase that includes all Custom Edition content.

Before installing or buying any packs, check the current store listing for regional pricing, the exact contents of each pack, device compatibility, and the current size of the download.

Developer support: Feral Interactive Support
Publisher: feralinteractive.com
Original developer: Codemasters

---

Disclosure: NovaRunway is an independent app and game discovery site. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Feral Interactive, Codemasters, or Electronic Arts. All trademarks and intellectual property belong to their respective owners. This article reflects our editorial assessment based on the current Android build and publicly available information, and is provided for informational purposes. Pricing, DLC contents, device compatibility and performance characteristics may change — verify with the official store listing before downloading or purchasing.