It is 2026.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe just got a substantial update.
If you told me back in 2014 when I was finishing 5th Grade and playing Mario Kart 8 for the first time that the game would still be receiving support more than 12 years after its original release, you would've been laughed out of the room, as I totally believed we'd have like, three more mainline Mario Karts by this point.
Well, here we are. Even the launch of a brand new main Mario Kart game wasn't enough to completely kill the most golden of golden geese.
Within a day of the surprise Pikmin 3 Deluxe update, Nintendo put out an even more surprising update for their biggest cash cow, and this one's a whole lot more substantial.
Jokes aside, though, this is something I've been wanting for a while. Like Pikmin 3 Deluxe, this is another Switch 2 enhancement update, bumping the resolution and introducing some new features that take advantage of the fancy new hardware. In terms of games I've wanted to see get these enhancement updates, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has long been towards the top of that list, and this update did not disappoint.
This update brings the game to Version 4.0.0, a major jump in the version number. The previous instances of those kinds of jumps for 8 Deluxe coincided with the first and final waves of the Booster Course Pass. And while there's no new content this time, for an update released over a year after its successor came out, it certainly does enough to earn this distinction.
Firstly, the main attraction of this update is the host of Switch 2 enhancements and features it comes with. The resolution has received a bump as per usual, supporting sharper visuals on high-res TVs and the Switch 2's display. It's been a bit since I last played Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but after playing a few races last night, I can definitely tell that it looks the best it ever has. Additionally, loading times before races have been shortened significantly, making it faster than ever to jump into the action. I never had too much of a problem with the loading times in 8 Deluxe, but this is such a noticeable upgrade that I don't think I could ever go back.
The update also adds the CameraPlay feature seen in World to 8 Deluxe, and it seems to be pretty much the same as in World. I've never tried any of these camera based modes as I don't have a Switch 2 Camera, but this is a fun feature to have. It sounds like this is usable in both Local and Online multiplayer.
But the BIG new thing this update introduces might be one of the most insane things I've ever seen in a Mario Kart game, that being the ability to play local multiplayer with up to 8 PLAYERS ON THE SAME SYSTEM!
Yeah, you read that right. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe now supports 8 Player Splitscreen. That is nuts.
I can't lie, though, it's an awesome addition. How well it works will definitely be dependent on display size- trying to play 8 player splitscreen on a smaller TV or the Switch 2's screen sounds like the opposite of a good time, but on a big TV, it would be great! I just love how this doubles the limit of people that can play together on one system without extra hardware. As long as you have enough controllers, that is. It also just sounds like something that would be incredibly fun at parties, much like 8 Player Smash in Smash Bros.
Disappointingly, it seems as though the frame rate of 3-4 player splitscreen has received a bump, which felt like one of the most obvious improvements a Switch 2 update of this game could've made. Perhaps it's still too difficult to get it running at 60 like single player and 2 player splitscreen, or Nintendo just didn't bother. Either way, it's a disappointing exclusion.
However, that's still not everything, as unlike the Pikmin 3 Deluxe update, in addition to the Switch 2 enhancements, the game has also received some universal updates that impact Switch 1 as well. For one, the base speed has been increased by an amount equivalent to one coin. In other words, the entire speedrun/time trial meta just got completely upended. Being invisible with a Boo will allow you to cross offroad without losing speed, much like in Mario Kart World. Lastly, an option for 96 races has been added to the VS Race rule settings. Freakin' finally, am I right? It always baffled me that this wasn't added alongside the final wave of the Booster Course Pass, as it just made all the sense in the world. Better late than never I suppose.
That about covers everything from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's surprise 4.0.0 update. For a 12 year old game with a sequel on the market, this is way meatier of an update than I ever imagined we'd get. It's genuinely kind of comical how long they've been supporting this game- it really is Nintendo's Skyrim. At the same time, I do think it makes perfect sense to continue pushing it. It IS only the best-selling Switch game after all, and even with Mario Kart World being out, it's such a drastically different kind of Mario Kart game compared to 8 Deluxe, which essentially perfected the 'traditional' Mario Kart game, that I think they can coexist as different 'flavors' of the same kind of game. Heck, I wouldn't be that surprised if, later in the Switch 2's life, we got a more traditional 'new' Mario Kart game. But let's get some DLC for World before we even entertain that idea.
With two free Switch 2 enhancements releasing on back to back days, it'll be interesting to see if Nintendo perhaps has more of these up their sleeves as we approach a potential September Nintendo Direct that's seemingly increasingly likely.
If you're curious, you can check out the full patch notes here!
