Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Gets Huge Surprise Update on Switch 2
Nintendo has dropped a huge update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch 2, and while improved visuals and shorter loading times are always welcome, there is one addition that immediately stands out: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe now supports up to eight players on a single Nintendo Switch 2. That is a pretty significant upgrade for a game that has been around for years, particularly because Mario Kart has always been one of Nintendo’s best local multiplayer games. Instead of needing multiple Switch consoles for a larger group, up to eight people can now race together on the same system, provided you have enough controllers. Nintendo says you can connect up to seven Nintendo Switch controllers, including Joy-Con and Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers, while reaching the full eight-player limit requires at least one Joy-Con 2 or Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.
The eight-player mode isn’t the only addition in the update, with Nintendo also adding support for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs, allowing for clearer visuals, while loading times before races and battles have also been shortened.
The update also introduces CameraPlay, allowing players to connect a USB camera to the Switch 2 and have their face displayed during races. The feature can be enabled or disabled in multiplayer for two to four players and during online play, although online CameraPlay requires players to be participating in a GameChat session, with camera footage and microphone audio only being shared with the other members of that session. None of these additions are quite as substantial as eight-player multiplayer, but together they make Mario Kart 8 Deluxe feel like it has received a proper Switch 2 refresh rather than simply being an older game running on newer hardware.
This update follows the recent surprise update for Pikmin 3 Deluxe, suggesting Nintendo may be taking another look at some of its older Switch games now that the Switch 2 is here. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is obviously one of Nintendo’s biggest games, so supporting it on new hardware makes plenty of sense, but adding something as significant as eight-player local multiplayer was not something I expected to see arrive several years into the game’s life. It also makes me wonder what other Switch games could receive similar treatment. With Nintendo sitting on such a huge library of games that are still being played by millions of people, there is plenty of opportunity to improve older releases with better visuals, faster loading and new features that take advantage of Switch 2. For now, though, I’m just intrigued to see how many people actually manage to get eight players together for a game of Mario Kart
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