Mario Kart spans a live Nintendo Switch 2 title (Mario Kart World) and a still-supported Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which received its first update in over a year on September 2, 2026. The mobile game Mario Kart Tour ends service on September 29, 2026, after ruby sales and Gold Pass subscriptions closed on July 7.
Mario Kart World, the Nintendo Switch 2 launch title, carries the series on the new console. Its music reached Nintendo Music on June 2, 2026, alongside the service's browser version, and 13 Free Run tracks from the game were added on July 14, drawing on Super Mario Maker, New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, New Super Mario Bros., and Mario Paint. Merchandise followed: the Nintendo Museum in Uji City, Kyoto began selling Switch 2 items including Mario Kart World package stickers on July 15, and Uniqlo's first UT collection based on the game arrived August 10 with men's T-shirts, kids' T-shirts, and kids' sweatshirts at four designs each.
The older Mario Kart 8 Deluxe did not go quiet. Nintendo released update Ver.4.0.0 on September 2, 2026, the first since May 2025, adding 8-player split screen on a single Switch 2 console with enough controllers, camera play through a separately sold USB camera, sharper display support, shorter race and battle load times, and 96 selectable races in VS mode for Booster Course Pass owners. Balance changes raised race speed by one coin's worth and stopped the Boo item from slowing a transparent player on dirt. A graphics comparison showed the Switch 2 version hitting 4K docked, with course load times down from 9.33 seconds to 3.50 seconds and eight-player versus play, while two-player matches hold 60fps on both consoles.
On mobile, Mario Kart Tour ends. Nintendo will shut the game down on September 29, 2026, with ruby sales and Gold Pass subscriptions already closed on July 7. The game had no new content since 2023, its final tour an Anniversary Tour that September. It launched in September 2019 after a delay as the series' smartphone entry.
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Nintendo published a notice about a possible console information leak on Nintendo Switch. A third party could read QR codes shown on screen during the Album's Send to Smartphone function and while using a kart in Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. Both cases require the QR code to be displayed on the Switch itself, and Switch 2 is not affected. The issue was fixed in System Version 23.0.0, released September 10.
Nintendo announced during the Nintendo Direct 2026.9.9 livestream on September 9 that Star Fox Adventures will join the Nintendo GameCube Nintendo Classics library, with distribution starting right after the broadcast ended. The 2002 GameCube title requires the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. It is the third game in the Star Fox series and moves away from the 3D shooting of its predecessors toward 3D action adventure, with Fox McCloud exploring a dinosaur-inhabited planet alongside his companion Tricky. Development was handled by the UK studio Rare. The Direct also confirmed a free update for the Switch 2 title Star Fox, adding split-screen support to Battle Mode, three new battle stages, and online play for up to four players from a single Switch 2 console. That update arrives September 30.
A graphics comparison video from ElAnalistaDeBits shows how Mario Kart 8 Deluxe performs on Nintendo Switch versus Switch 2 after the recent compatibility update. The Switch 2 version reaches 4K in docked mode, cuts course load times from 9.33 seconds to 3.50 seconds, and adds eight-player versus play. Frame rates stay at 60fps for two-player matches on both consoles.
Nintendo distributed a free update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on September 2, 2026, adding features that use the Nintendo Switch 2's performance. Update version 4.0.0 is the first since May 2025, a gap of about one year and four months. When played on Switch 2, the game now supports up to 8-player split screen on a single console, provided each player has a controller. Camera play is also supported, using a separately sold USB camera such as the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera. Players' faces appear above their characters during races, showing who is nearby and who overtook them, and the feature works with game chat. The update also supports the Switch 2's display and high-resolution televisions, and shortens load times for races and battles. Balance changes make race speed faster by the equivalent of one coin, and using the Boo item to become transparent no longer slows the player on dirt. Owners of the Booster Course Pass can now select 96 races in VS Race rule settings.
Nintendo released update Ver.4.0.0 for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on September 2. On Switch 2, the racer supports clearer display on the internal screen and high-resolution TVs, up to 8 players on one console with enough controllers, and camera play via USB camera. Load times before races and battles are shorter. Race speed is up by one coin's worth, and Boo no longer slows on dirt while transparent. Booster Course Pass owners can select 96 races in VS mode.
Uniqlo is releasing its first UT collection based on Mario Kart World, the Nintendo Switch 2 racing game, starting August 10. The lineup includes men's T-shirts, kids' T-shirts, and kids' sweatshirts, each with four designs. Prices start at 990 yen for kids' T-shirts, with men's T-shirts and kids' sweatshirts priced at 1,990 yen.
Nintendo announced on July 14 that the Nintendo Museum in Uji City, Kyoto, will begin selling Nintendo Switch 2 merchandise at its Bonus Stage shop from July 15. Items include T-shirts, mugs, a ballpoint pen, a ring notebook, a pin set, and game software package stickers for Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. The museum, which focuses on Nintendo's history, will now carry current-generation console merchandise.
Nintendo added 13 new tracks from the Free Run mode of Mario Kart World to its Nintendo Music streaming service on July 14. The tracks draw from Super Mario Maker, New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, New Super Mario Bros., and Mario Paint. Mario Kart World launched in 2025 as a Nintendo Switch 2 launch title. Nintendo Music is available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers on iOS, Android, and web.
Nintendo's Mario Kart Tour mobile game will end service on September 29, 2026. In-game ruby sales and Gold Pass subscriptions ended on July 7. The game has not received new content since 2023, with the final new tour being an Anniversary Tour in September 2023. The game launched in September 2019 after a delay, and was the first Mario Kart game for smartphones.
The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association appointed Kis-My-Ft2 member Toshihiro Miyata as the official supporter for Tokyo Game Show 2026. Miyata, known as a gaming enthusiast and co-founder of the YouTube channel Houkago GAMING LIFE, will help promote the event's 30th anniversary. TGS2026 runs September 17-21 at Makuhari Messe.
Nintendo released a browser version of its Nintendo Music streaming service on June 2, 2026, expanding access beyond the existing iOS and Android app. The web version requires no installation and works on PCs and tablets after logging into a Nintendo Account. It displays available titles and playlists on a larger screen. The update also adds support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, enabling in-car listening with voice input for hands-free control. A new "Recommended Mix" playlist feature, available in the app version, automatically curates songs daily based on listening history and played games. On the same day, music from the Nintendo Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World began streaming, including tracks such as "Main Theme," "Mario Bros. Circuit," and "Rainbow Road (Finale)." Songs from the Free Run mode will be added later. Nintendo Music requires a paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription.