Considered to be one of the best kart racers of all time, the original Nintendo Switch’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is receiving new features that take advantage of Nintendo Switch 2 hardware.
The surprise new update will be adding three new key updates including 8 player multiplayer from one screen, Switch 2 CameraPlay support and increased performance for visual fidelity and load times.
Eight Players on One Screen
8 players will now be able to play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe from one Nintendo Switch 2 console. Players will be able to share Joy-Cons and other controllers to bring more members of your friends and family together to play at the same time. There will, of course, be limited screen space for each player, but you can expect some hilarious party carnage.
Switch 2 CameraPlay
For those with a Nintendo Switch 2 camera, you’ll now be able to share your face and see those of your friends in multiplayer races, just like you can in Mario Kart World. Here’s a couple of images of the support in action.
Visual and Load Time Improvements
The Switch 2 update also adds higher resolution to the game when played both docked and handheld. There will also be improved loads times allowing players to get into the next race more quickly.
More on the updates can be found on the official Nintendo blog post.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is, of course, not the most recent Mario Kart entry. Switch 2 launch title, Mario Kart World is a divisive entry to the franchise which many felt was steps forward and back when it released last year. Whilst the introduction of the excellent Knockout Tour mode and 24-player races was embraced by offline and online players, the lost feel of Mario Kart’s iconic circuit racing upset fans of the franchise. Many – myself included – also felt that the open world, whilst beautifully designed, was rather hollow.
In our review of Mario Kart World we said: “The racing feels great, the tracks are engaging and varied, and the music and visuals are all at the high level you’d expect from Nintendo. The big new thing, the Free Roam, feels underbaked and a missed opportunity of the potential it could have been”. Mario Kart World itself has seen a slew of new updates including new Knockout Tour routes, photo mode stickers and more recently. Whether we see an update to overhaul the open world is yet to be seen, however Nintendo’s recent track record of supporting older titles has been very strong.
Will you be dusting your copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe off for your Switch 2? Are you a lover, or hater of Mario Kart World? Come and join the active and friendly Gamer Social Club Discord to chat about all your other favourite games.
