Mario Kart World is the current series entry on Switch 2, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe received a free Switch 2 update on September 2, 2026, adding 8-player local play, USB camera support, shorter load times, and 4K output. Mario Kart Tour's service ended on September 29, 2026.
Nintendo's Mario Kart line now runs on two tracks at once. Mario Kart World arrived as a Switch 2 launch title in 2025 and is the reference release for the new hardware, bundled as a download option in the Japan-only Switch 2 Choose-Your-Game Set due November 12, 2026 at 63,980 yen. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the older game, was kept current with a free Switch 2 update on September 2, 2026. Version 4.0.0 adds 8-player local play on one console with enough controllers, USB camera play, shorter load times, faster race speed, and Boo no longer slowing on dirt. A comparison from ElAnalistaDeBits measured docked 4K and load times cut from 9.33 to 3.50 seconds.
The mobile side has closed. Mario Kart Tour ended service on September 29, 2026, after ruby sales and Gold Pass subscriptions stopped on July 7. It had received no new content since an Anniversary Tour in September 2023. The series is now console-only.
Mario Kart World has spread beyond the console. Nintendo Music began streaming its soundtrack on June 2, 2026, when the service also gained a browser version and car support, and 13 Free Run tracks followed on July 14. Merchandise has followed: a Uniqlo UT collection starting August 10, 2026, Switch 2 goods including Mario Kart World stickers at the Nintendo Museum from July 15, and Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge attraction goods at Universal Studios Japan from November 6. A Switch QR code issue that affected Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit was fixed in System Version 23.0.0 on September 10.
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Universal Studios Japan will sell new goods themed to the Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge attraction from November 6, part of its winter event Universal Holiday Wonders ~Discover U!!!~. The lineup includes shirts, caps, a pen case and a mug, aimed at adults and children. Snoopy and Hello Kitty items in Christmas costumes go on sale November 9.
Nintendo will release the Nintendo Switch 2 (Japanese-language, Japan-only) Choose-Your-Game Set on November 12, the company announced on October 6. The bundle pairs a Nintendo Switch 2 console with one downloadable game chosen from three options: Mario Kart World, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, and Tomodachi Collection: Waku Waku Life. The price is 63,980 yen including tax, and reservations opened on the Nintendo Store the same day. Game retailers nationwide and online shops will start taking reservations once their preparations are complete. The Japan-only console alone costs 4,000 yen less than this set, so picking any one of the three titles comes out roughly 3,000 to 5,000 yen cheaper than buying the hardware and that game separately. Standalone download prices are 8,980 yen for Mario Kart World, 5,980 yen for Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, and 7,100 yen for Tomodachi Collection: Waku Waku Life, all tax included. Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort are Nintendo Switch 2 titles, while Tomodachi Collection: Waku Waku Life is Nintendo Switch software.
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.