The nine-year-old game that just keeps giving.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Nintendo had already squeezed every last drop of juice out of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. After starting life as a Wii U title in 2014, the already expanded Switch version of Mario Kart 8 which arrived three years later received even more new tracks and features, keeping it on the US sales charts for almost the entire lifespan of the console.
The Switch 2 launched last year with Mario Kart Worldwhat looked like the end of the road (Rainbow) for its wildly successful predecessor, but Nintendo apparently isn’t done yet. Completely out of the blue (shell – OK, I promise to stop now), the company has just rolled out a new free update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe specifically aimed at Switch 2 players.
You can now play with up to eight players in split-screen local multiplayer, provided you have enough controllers to move around (original Switch controllers are also supported). Nintendo also added support for CameraPlay, so if you have an official Switch 2 camera or compatible USB-C camera connected to your console, you can see Luigi’s death glares from your friends when you pass them. You can also use CameraPlay online via GameChat, as in Mario Kart World.
Loading times are also now shorter and you’ll get “enhanced visuals” when playing in docked mode. Obviously, this assumes you have a 4K TV capable of taking advantage of the Switch 2’s improved output. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe could already output at 1080p in handheld mode via “Handheld Mode Boost”, but can probably now do so natively thanks to the new update.
This is exactly why Nintendo is adding all these features to an old game instead of pushing even more people towards this game. Mario Kart World it’s an enigma. The company has also been gradually improving the Switch 2-exclusive entry through updates, but many people were now hoping they’d heard about the DLC plans, given how many new tracks we’ve gotten over the years. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Mario Kart World is still included in one of the recently revamped Switch 2 bundles, which costs $50 more than the same bundle at launch, but now also comes with a three-month Nintendo Switch Online membership.
