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yesterday

Nintendo Adds Switch 2 Support and Eight‑Player Split‑Screen to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

The free Version 4.0.0 update gives the decade‑old best seller sharper visuals and new local and social features, signaling continued major updates for an older Nintendo hit.

Mario Kart 8 Mario racing
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Overview

  • Nintendo released the free Version 4.0.0 update on Wednesday, which adds official support for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and shorter load times when played on the new console.
  • The patch enables local multiplayer for five to eight players on a single Switch 2, allowing an unprecedented eight‑player split‑screen mode when enough controllers are connected.
  • At least one Switch 2 controller (a Joy‑Con 2 pair or a Switch 2 Pro Controller) is required for an eight‑player session because the Switch 2 can only connect seven legacy Switch controllers at once.
  • The update also adds CameraPlay, which uses a separately sold USB camera to show players’ faces in races but limits camera use online to invited GameChat sessions, and it makes gameplay tweaks including a small speed increase and Boo bug change plus a new '96 Races' VS option for Booster Course Pass owners.
  • Coverage notes the wider meaning of the patch: Nintendo continues to invest significant updates in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe years after release, a move that may draw players back to the older title and raise questions about update priorities for the newer Mario Kart World.