It feels like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is literally never going to die, and honestly? I’m completely fine with that. Nintendo just dropped a massive, completely free update for the Switch 2, breathing even more life into a racer we’ve all been playing for the better part of a decade. If you snagged the new console, this patch is an absolute must download.

FASTER RACES AND UTTER MULTIPLAYER CHAOS

Let’s get straight to the best part: eight player local multiplayer. Picture the absolute carnage of squeezing eight people into a single living room to ruin friendships over a Blue Shell. You can actually hook up to seven of your old, original Switch controllers to make this happen. You’ll just need at least one Joy Con 2 or a Switch 2 Pro Controller to complete the eight player setup.

Beyond the lobby sizes, the game just looks and feels undeniably better on the new hardware. Nintendo tweaked the visuals to take full advantage of the Switch 2 screen and modern high res TVs. Plus, the loading screens have been slashed. Less time staring at a loading bar means you get back onto Rainbow Road way faster.

FACECAMS AND SNEAKY GAMEPLAY TWEAKS

Have you ever wanted to see the exact moment your friend’s soul leaves their body when they get hit by a Red Shell right at the finish line? Now you can. The update brings something called CameraPlay. Hook up a compatible USB camera, and your face will pop up on screen during 2 to 4 player races. It works in local multiplayer, and you can even use it online as long as you’re in an active GameChat session.

Mechanically, things got a little spicy too. Your base driving speed has been permanently bumped up it basically feels like you always have one free coin in your pocket right off the starting line. Oh, and using the Boo item? It completely ignores off road slowdowns now. You can cut right through the grass as a ghost without losing a single ounce of momentum.

Go update your game and grab your controllers. See you on the track.