Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is running on Switch 2 through a free 4.0.0 update released September 2, 2026 that adds 8-player local play, USB camera play, shorter load times, and higher-resolution output. A subsequent performance comparison measured the Switch 2 version at 4K docked with course load times of 3.50 seconds.
Nintendo released update version 4.0.0 for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on September 2, 2026, the game's first patch since May 2025, a gap of about one year and four months. The update ties the game to Switch 2 hardware: on that console the racer supports up to 8-player split screen on a single system, provided each player has a controller, along with camera play through 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 display and high-resolution televisions and shortens load times for races and battles.
The patch also changed the racing itself. Race speed is 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.
Days later, a graphics comparison video from ElAnalistaDeBits measured what the update does on Switch 2 hardware. In docked mode the Switch 2 version reaches 4K. Course load times drop from 9.33 seconds to 3.50 seconds. Eight-player versus play is present. Frame rates stay at 60fps for two-player matches on both consoles.
The update arrived after the series' newest entry, Mario Kart World, had already launched on Switch 2, so Nintendo is keeping the older title current on the new hardware rather than leaving it behind.
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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.