Nintendo released version 4.0.0 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on September 2, adding compatibility with its new Nintendo Switch 2 console and enabling up to eight players to race locally in split-screen on a single system, doubling the previous four-player limit [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. To use the eight-player mode, at least one Joy-Con 2 or a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller must be connected along with enough controllers for all players [1, 2, 3, 5].
The update enhances visuals when played on the Switch 2's display or on high-resolution TVs, delivering clearer and more detailed graphics [1, 2, 6, 4, 5]. It also reduces loading times before races and battles to improve gameplay flow [1, 2, 6, 4, 5]. A new CameraPlay feature allows players with a compatible Switch 2 camera to show friends' faces on-screen during races [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Version 4.0.0 introduces a '96 Races' endurance challenge option in VS Race settings for owners of the Booster Course Pass, letting players compete across all 96 courses from the base game and DLC [1, 2]. Other gameplay changes include eliminating slowdown during the Boo item animation and a slight boost in player speed roughly equal to the effect of one coin [1, 2, 4].
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe originally launched on the Wii U in 2014, before the Deluxe version came to the Nintendo Switch in April 2017 [1]. The Nintendo Switch 2, which launched in 2025 and included Mario Kart World as a launch title, now supports this latest update [5].
Eurogamer noted, "Nintendo heard us. Our Mario Kart 8 Deluxe parties weren't simultaneously ruining enough friendships, so the evergreen racer can now be played in split-screen with up to eight players thanks to a surprise Switch 2 update" [2]. Engadget said the free update "came completely out of the blue... a meaty new free update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe specifically aimed at Switch 2 players" [5].
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold to more than 71 million players worldwide as of the latest reports [1].
