When Mario Kart World launched alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 last year, it seemed like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was done for. Kaput. Finnito. We enjoyed our time with World, sure, but it never had us coming back for another lap quite like Deluxe did for nearly eight years straight. Now, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is officially getting a free Switch 2 update. We can only imagine that sales for World were on the decline, prompting the upgrade.
“My death was… greatly exaggerated”
The update dropped yesterday for all owners of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It adds enhanced visuals in both docked and handheld modes, though Nintendo hasn’t gone into any detail. Deluxe could already output at 1080p in handheld with Boost Mode, so it’s safe to assume it does that natively now. Loading times have been buffed, too.
The upgrade also harnesses the Switch 2’s power by making eight-player split-screen races a thing. You’ll likely be halted by a lack of eight controllers (or friends), but it’s doable with pretty much any version of a Switch controller — old or otherwise. Nintendo says at least one Switch 2 Joy-Con or Pro Controller is required, though.
Read More: Nintendo Switch 2 review – Proper Switch Pro
One feature that’ll excite absolutely no one is CameraPlay support. If you’ve got a compatible USB-C camera, it can scan players’ faces and stick them into the game. It’ll be supported in local play and online multiplayer.
It doesn’t look like Nintendo has released an official ‘Switch 2 edition’ of the game, so pricing remains the same for newcomers. The R1,130 price for the standard edition is still a solid chunk of change for what is essentially a thirteen-year-old game. That’s not even including the Booster Course Pass, which adds new maps to the mix.
