In a move that absolutely no one saw coming, Nintendo has dropped a surprise free update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch 2 — and the headline feature is exactly as wild as it sounds. Version 4.0.0 adds local splitscreen support for up to eight players on a single console. Yes, eight. All at the same time. On the same screen. The chaos math is left as an exercise for the reader.
The update arrived September 1, 2026, with no prior announcement, and applies specifically to Switch 2 players. Here’s a full breakdown of everything it adds.
Eight-Player Splitscreen — How It Actually Works
The feature expands the game’s previous local multiplayer limit from four players up to eight, carving the screen into eight portrait-style windows — think the classic four-player grid, sliced in half again. To get there, you’ll need a Switch 2, enough controllers, and friends willing to sit very close together and squint.
According to the patch notes, you can connect up to seven standard Nintendo Switch controllers (either Joy-Con or Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers) to the Nintendo Switch 2 system. The catch for hitting the full eight-player count: you need at least one Joy-Con 2 controller or a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller in the mix. So if you’re running entirely on legacy Switch hardware, you cap out at seven — but one Switch 2 native controller unlocks the full house.
That’s genuinely impressive on a technical level. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe started life as a Wii U game in 2014, came to Switch in 2017, and is now pushing eight simultaneous race views on hardware a full console generation newer. Rendering eight independent camera angles at the same time during an active race puts real demands on any system, and Nintendo has made it work on a game that’s now more than nine years old. The mode also reportedly functions in the Switch 2’s handheld configuration — though given the screen size, that one may be a party trick more than a practical gaming setup.
CameraPlay — See Your Friends’ Faces As You Destroy Them
The update also brings CameraPlay support to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. If you’re not familiar with the feature: CameraPlay uses the Switch 2’s USB-C camera (sold separately) to put your friends’ live faces on screen during races. Their expressions appear as a portrait overlay over their driver — so when you blue shell someone from first place with two laps to go, you get to see their exact reaction in real time.
CameraPlay can be toggled on or off by individual players in local Multiplayer modes (2-4 players) and Online Play modes. For online use specifically, players need to be in an active GameChat session for the camera feed to work, and the footage and microphone audio are sent only to GameChat members — not broadcast publicly. A USB camera (sold separately) is required for any of this; the feature doesn’t activate without one.
CameraPlay was already a flagship feature of Mario Kart World — the Switch 2’s dedicated launch racing title — so its arrival in MK8 Deluxe is a nice parity move that makes the older game feel genuinely current on the new hardware. It previously appeared in Super Mario Party Jamboree’s Switch 2 edition as one of the first games to use the feature.
The Full Patch Notes for Version 4.0.0
- Enhanced visuals: Added support for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for clearer, sharper image quality when docked
- Shorter load times: Reduced loading time before races and battles begin
- Five to eight player local multiplayer: Expanded splitscreen support from four players to eight
- CameraPlay support: Live camera feeds of players’ faces shown on screen during races
- Speed adjustment: Slight player speed increase, described as “the equivalent of one coin” — a small but noticeable quality-of-life tweak for both Switch and Switch 2 players
- 96 Races option: Players with the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass will have “96 Races” added as an option in VS Race rule settings
- Boo bug fix: Players will no longer slow down while using Boo to become invisible when entering an off-road area
Why Is Nintendo Still Updating a Nine-Year-Old Game?
That’s the interesting question here, and the sales numbers tell the story pretty clearly. As of June 30, 2026, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold 71.53 million copies — making it not just the best-selling Nintendo Switch game of all time, but the best-selling Mario Kart game ever made. For context, that’s more than quadruple the combined sales of every other top-10 Switch title except Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
The Switch 2 launched in 2025 with Mario Kart World as its flagship racing title, which has itself sold over 15 million copies — strong numbers by any standard. But players have repeatedly shown that they prefer MK8 Deluxe, with multiple reports noting the older game continuing to outsell the newer one on Switch 2 systems. Nintendo watching that happen and deciding to invest in a meaningful free update for the game their audience clearly still loves is both pragmatic and a genuinely good look.
As one Nintendo Life commenter put it: “This is amazing. It makes me so happy that Nintendo hasn’t forgotten about MK8 and neglected it just because a newer entry in the series is out.” That sentiment is likely widespread across the community. When a publisher supports a game this long and this thoughtfully, it builds the kind of goodwill that keeps players in their ecosystem for years.
What Do You Actually Need to Play Eight-Player?
To avoid confusion, here’s a practical checklist:
- One Nintendo Switch 2
- At least one Joy-Con 2 or Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller (required to reach 8 players — without this, the maximum is 7)
- Up to seven additional Nintendo Switch controllers (standard Joy-Con or Switch Pro Controllers work fine)
- Enough seating for everyone — or a house rule about losers taking the floor
- A compatible USB-C camera (sold separately) if you want CameraPlay on top of everything else
The update is available to download right now for any Switch 2 owner who already has Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. No purchase required beyond the game itself — this is a completely free upgrade. Free additions to existing game libraries are always appreciated, and Nintendo delivering one this substantial, this quietly, and with this much practical fun attached is the kind of move that reminds you why Mario Kart has sold over 180 million copies across the entire franchise.
Eight players. One screen. May the best racer win. Or just the one who got the star at the start of lap three. Great gaming moments come in all shapes, and somehow, a free update to a 2014 Wii U game might produce some of the best couch gaming memories of 2026.
