Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of Nintendo’s biggest success stories—an enhanced port of a Wii U game that became the best-selling title on the Switch. Even with its 2017 re-release date, the game is still actively supported, thanks in large part to the massive Booster Course Pass DLC, which wrapped up in late 2023. Now, with the Switch 2 approaching, fans are wondering: Could this iconic racer get a next-gen performance patch?
Despite being technically impressive for a Wii U-era game, MK8 Deluxe runs at 1080p/60fps docked and 720p/60fps handheld, with occasional resolution dips in split-screen multiplayer or under heavy load. A Switch 2 performance patch could smooth out those rare hiccups, improve visual clarity, and potentially even push toward dynamic 4K output or enhanced textures, especially in the DLC tracks that some felt were visually scaled back.
Given Nintendo’s habit of supporting Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for nearly a decade now, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a performance update quietly roll out. With backward compatibility expected on the Switch 2, a lightweight patch could breathe new life into the game as players migrate to the new system.
No official patch has been announced yet, but considering how foundational Mario Kart is to Nintendo’s brand—and how long it may still be before Mario Kart 9—a Switch 2 upgrade for Deluxe feels like a safe and smart move.
