Nintendo dropped a surprise update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe today, September 2, 2026, bringing Switch 2 enhancements to a game that originally launched back in 2017. The biggest headline: local multiplayer now supports up to 8 players, doubling the previous cap of 4.
From 4 to 8: what the multiplayer expansion actually means
Getting 8 people on one screen is going to look like organized chaos, and that's kind of the point. Here's the thing though: the controller setup has a specific requirement. The Switch 2 can only connect 7 Switch 1 controllers at once, so at least one of the 8 players needs to be using a Switch 2 Pro Controller or Joy-Con 2. Worth keeping in mind before you round up the whole squad.
The CameraPlay feature also got an expansion. USB cameras now work in both Online Play and local multiplayer, though the camera-enabled local mode caps out at 4 players. You can have 8 racers or cameras, not both at once.
Switch 2 performance upgrades
Beyond the multiplayer bump, the update brings the kind of hardware-specific polish that makes revisiting an older game feel fresh. Switch 2 players get higher resolution output on both the handheld display and connected TVs, plus noticeably shorter load times. For a game with as many tracks as 8 Deluxe, that last part matters more than it might sound.
Balance tweaks that hit both platforms
The Switch 1 version isn't left completely out. A handful of gameplay changes apply across both platforms:
- All player speeds have been increased by the equivalent of one coin
- The Boo power-up now grants immunity to speed reduction even when driving offroad
- Booster Course DLC owners can now run VS Races across up to 96 courses
That 96-course VS Race option is a significant quality-of-life addition for anyone who picked up the Booster Course Pass. The DLC added 48 courses to an already packed base game, and being able to pull from the full pool in a single VS session makes the whole package feel more unified.
Nintendo still believes in this nine-year-old game
Mario Kart World launched as the Switch 2's flagship racing title, and yet here's Nintendo putting meaningful work into its predecessor. That says something. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains the best-selling Switch game of all time, and a large portion of the player base has shown no urgency to move on. Updating it with Switch 2 features rather than letting it fade out is a practical acknowledgment of that reality.
The update is live now. If you want to dig deeper into tracks, characters, and kart builds, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe guides are a solid place to start before your next 8-player session. And if you're looking for broader tips across Nintendo's racing lineup, the full gaming guides hub has you covered.
