Mario Kart 8 Deluxe gets free Switch 2 update with eight-player split-screen

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has received a free Nintendo Switch 2 update that lets up to eight players race together on one system. Finally, a family argument can have a proper leaderboard.

The update also adds CameraPlay support, giving the long-running kart racer another Switch 2 feature without asking players to buy a new version of the game.

What's actually going on

Nintendo’s official update article confirms local racing for up to eight players on a single Nintendo Switch 2 system. Secondary coverage identifies the release as Version 4.0.0.

The update includes CameraPlay support, which uses the Switch 2’s camera functionality as part of the play experience. The official material confirms the feature, but precise hardware requirements and regional availability should be checked before players assume every setup will work identically.

There is no new purchase price attached to the update. It is presented as a free enhancement for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo’s update does not turn the game into a new-generation remake. It is an extra layer of functionality on top of a kart racer that has already survived multiple console generations and an frankly unreasonable number of blue shells.

Why you should care

Eight-player local multiplayer is the sort of feature that gives a console a reason to leave the dock and find a television. It also makes Mario Kart 8 Deluxe a stronger party game without splitting the room across multiple consoles.

The CameraPlay addition is more experimental, but it shows Nintendo trying to use the Switch 2’s hardware rather than simply selling familiar games at a higher resolution. Whether it becomes a lasting feature or a novelty will depend on how often players actually use it.

Our opinion

This is exactly the kind of free update Mario Kart 8 Deluxe needed: practical, social and immediately understandable. Eight players on one Switch 2 is a better sales pitch than another menu redesign.

If you own the game and a Switch 2, download the update. If you do not, this probably will not justify buying the console by itself — unless your household contains eight competitive racers and one person who has been waiting years to settle the Rainbow Road dispute.