Nintendo has released a surprise update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to take advantage of the Nintendo Switch 2 with update 4.0.0 There’s now both support for 8-player split-screen racing, player faces with camera support, and general loading speed improvements for the newer system.
Mario Kart 8 has continued to prove incredibly popular and has, at various points over the past year, been shown to outsell the new Switch 2 exclusive Mario Kart World. The new game has sold over 15 million copies, thanks in part to being sold in a bundle with the console, but that still pales in comparison to the 71 million of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe! No doubt seeing just how much it is continued to be played on the Switch 2, Nintendo going back to add native support for the newer hardware makes sense.
The power of the Nintendo Switch 2 is being used in multiple ways. There’s higher resolution support with the Switch 2’s 1080p screen and 4K output to TV, and the faster internal and MicroSD cards allow for faster loading times.
But the biggest improvements come with the ability to play with up to 8 players in local split-screen Multiplayer. You can use a mixture of Switch 2 and Switch controllers, with up to seven Switch controllers (Joy-Con or Switch Pro), and at least one Joy-Con 2 or Switch 2 Pro Controller used. Not mentioned is that you will probably want a truly gigantic TV screen to make this playable – gone are the days of huddling around a 17″ CRT to play GoldenEye with a player view the size of a postage stamp!
CameraPlay replicates the trick from Mario Kart World where a connected USB camera can add a little player face as thumbnail above their racer. This can be used in local 2-4 player races and Online Play sessions with friends, where you will need to be in a GameChat session.
Here’s the full Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 4.0.0 patch notes:
Support for the Nintendo Switch 2 system
- Added support for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs, allowing for clearer visuals.
- Shortened the loading time before races and battles begin.
- Added support for 5–8 players in Multiplayer.
- You can connect up to seven Nintendo Switch controllers (Joy-Con or Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers) to the Nintendo Switch 2 system. In order to play with eight people, you need at least one Joy-Con 2 controller or a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.
- Added CameraPlay support.
- A USB camera (sold separately) is required to use CameraPlay.
- Players can turn camera ON or OFF in Multiplayer (2-4 players) and Online Play modes.
- In order to use a camera on the internet, players must participate in a GameChat session. The camera footage and microphone audio will be sent only to GameChat members.
- When the camera is ON, the player’s face is displayed during the race.
General
- Increased player speed during races by the equivalent of one coin.
- Players will not slow down while using Boo to become invisible, even when entering an offroad area.
- Players with access to the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass will have “96 Races” added to the “VS Race” rule settings.
Source: Nintendo
