Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Nintendo’s upgraded take on the 2014 Wii U game, just got a new update for the Switch 2… while Mario Kart World, its more recent entry in the racing game series, sits stagnant.
As per Nintendo’s official patch notes, Version 4.0.0 is here for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with plenty for Switch 2 players to look forward to.
First and foremost are “clearer visuals,” as the update finally adds “support for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs” – something I’ve personally been looking forward to since I upgraded to a 4K television myself. There are some nice performance tweaks, too.
The new version has “shortened the loading time before races and battles begin,” as Nintendo writes, and “added CameraPlay support” for all you GameChat enjoyers.
That’s not all, though – Mario Kart 8 Deluxe supports five to eight players in multiplayer mode now, allowing folks to connect with up to seven Nintendo Switch controllers on their Switch 2. In other words, prepare for downright chaos with your pals.
There are some other changes as well, as Nintendo has “increased player speed during races by the equivalent of one coin” and made it so that “players will not slow down while using Boo to become invisible, even when entering an offroad area.”
People with access to the $24.99 Booster Course Pass will also see “96 Races” in the “VS Race” rule settings now, too. All in all, it’s a pretty nice little Mario Kart 8 update, if you ask me.
What about Mario Kart World? Well, it did get two new Knockout Tour routes at the start of July, but it still undeniably feels unfinished when compared to its predecessor – an entry that’s increasingly beginning to feel like Nintendo’s favorite child.
Who knows, though… we might see a new Mario Kart World update surface for Switch 2 stans soon, even if Mario Kart 8 has historically outsold its successor (because, let’s face it, it’s the series GOAT).