Mario Kart 8 Just Got a Game-Changing Update for Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo has released a surprise update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, adding native Nintendo Switch 2 support nearly a decade after the game's original 2017 launch. The update brings sharper visuals and faster loading on Switch 2 hardware and high-resolution TVs, and matters because it extends meaningful support for one of Nintendo's best-selling titles, with the game boasting some 71 million players to date.
Beyond the expected visual and performance improvements, the update doubles split-screen capacity to eight players on a single Switch 2 screen, up from four on the original Switch, using up to seven connected controllers alongside the console's own Joy-Con. It also adds CameraPlay support, a small race-speed boost equivalent to one coin, and a new "96 Races" endurance mode for Booster Course Pass owners covering all 96 available tracks, including the game's DLC courses.
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe gains official Nintendo Switch 2 support via free update
- Split-screen multiplayer doubles to eight players on one screen
- New "96 Races" mode lets players race every available track
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Nintendo's Switch 2 launched in June 2025, and part of its appeal has been backward compatibility with existing Switch games, sometimes with extra polish. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, first released in 2017 for the original Switch, is one of Nintendo's most successful games ever, with tens of millions of players worldwide, so any changes to it reach a huge audience.
Rather than releasing a brand new sequel, Nintendo has continued adding free updates to this same game over the years, including extra tracks through paid downloadable content. The latest update is notable because it specifically reworks the game to take advantage of the newer, more powerful Switch 2 hardware, something not guaranteed for older titles.
Nintendo has a long history of keeping popular games alive with ongoing support rather than replacing them outright, which affects how millions of existing owners experience a game they may have already played for years.