Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Gets 8-Player Multiplayer on Nintendo Switch 2

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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has received a surprisingly large new life on Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo's Ver. 4.0.0 update, released in Japan on September 2, adds support for five to eight players in local “Multiplayer” mode on one Nintendo Switch 2 system.

Eight Racers, One Switch 2

Nintendo says up to seven original Nintendo Switch controllers can connect to a Switch 2. To reach eight players, at least one Joy-Con 2 or Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is required.

The update also improves image clarity on the Switch 2 display and compatible high-resolution televisions and shortens loading time before races and battles.

CameraPlay has also been added, but this feature has a different player limit: it is available for two to four players locally and in supported online play.

Why This Feels Very Mario Kart

Mario Kart has always worked especially well as a social game—people sitting together, choosing characters, arguing over items and racing again immediately.

Eight-player local support pushes Mario Kart 8 Deluxe even further in that direction. Years after its original launch, Nintendo is using Switch 2 hardware to turn an already huge Japanese game into an even larger couch multiplayer experience.

What To Know

The headline isn't simply better graphics. Eight people can now gather around one Switch 2 system for Mario Kart, making a familiar game feel even more like a party game.

Nintendo has long built games around local group play. Mario Kart is one of the clearest global examples of that Japanese multiplayer design tradition.

What Fans Are Saying

Original Japanese

Easy Japanese

Switch 2で、8人までいっしょにマリオカートを遊べます。