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To update Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, connect your Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite, Switch OLED Model, or Nintendo Switch 2 to the Internet. From the HOME Menu, highlight the game icon without opening the game, press + or –, choose Software Update, and then choose Via the Internet. Nintendo lists Ver. 4.0.1, released October 13, 2026, as the latest version.
The update is required for the game’s Internet features. A Nintendo Switch Online membership is needed for online play, but it is not required merely to download the game update. Keep enough free space on the console or a compatible microSD card, and make sure everyone joining a local, LAN, or online session is using the same software version.
Latest Mario Kart 8 Deluxe version
As of October 19, 2026, the current Nintendo release is Ver. 4.0.1, released on October 13, 2026. It is available on the Nintendo Switch family and Nintendo Switch 2. If your software shows an earlier version, use the manual procedure below or enable automatic updates.
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| Version | Release date | What Nintendo changed |
|---|---|---|
| Ver. 4.0.1 | October 13, 2026 | Fixed obstacle or Item Box counts increasing during Online Play and Wireless Play on Nintendo Switch 2 compared with Nintendo Switch; fixed the inability to select a registered user in two-player Online Play and Wireless Play; restored missing Star Bits on Wii Rainbow Road on Nintendo Switch 2; and fixed unexpected game closures under certain conditions. |
| Ver. 4.0.0 | September 1, 2026 | Added Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution-TV support, shortened loading before races and battles, enabled five- to eight-player multiplayer on Nintendo Switch 2, and added CameraPlay support. CameraPlay requires a USB camera. |
Version 4.0.1 is a corrective update following the larger 4.0.0 release. Nintendo recorded multiplayer support for five to eight players on Nintendo Switch 2, with up to seven Nintendo Switch controllers for an eight-player session and at least one Joy-Con 2 or Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.
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What you need before updating
- An Internet connection: The console must be connected to the Internet for a manual download. Automatic updating also depends on an Internet connection.
- Free storage: Update data needs available space in the console’s system memory or on a microSD card. The required amount can vary with the update, so Nintendo does not give a single universal space figure in the release information.
- The game installed or available on the console: You select its icon from the HOME Menu. Do not start the game before opening the update menu.
- A compatible controller: You need to press the controller’s + or – button to open the software options.
- Nintendo Switch Online only for online features: Membership is required for online play, not for the update download itself.
How to update Mario Kart 8 Deluxe manually
The manual method lets you check immediately and start the download yourself. It works on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, Nintendo Switch OLED Model, and Nintendo Switch 2.
- Connect the console to the Internet. Confirm that the Switch you intend to update has an active Internet connection.
- Open the HOME Menu. If the game is running, close it so the game icon is visible on the HOME Menu.
- Highlight the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe icon. Move the selection cursor to the game, but do not press A to launch it.
- Open the software options. Press the controller’s + button or – button. The current version number appears under the software title in this area.
- Choose Software Update. This opens the available update choices for the highlighted game.
- Choose Via the Internet. The console checks for the current release and downloads it when an update is available.
- Let the download and installation finish. Keep the console connected and do not start the game until the process has completed. The game can then be opened normally.
How to confirm which version you have
To check before or after updating, highlight Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the HOME Menu and press + or –. The software options screen shows the current version number under the game title. A console that has completed the latest release should show Ver. 4.0.1.
How automatic updating works
Nintendo says the update downloads and installs automatically when the console is connected to the Internet and Software Auto-Updates is enabled. This is useful when you do not want to check each game manually.
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- Automatic updating still needs an Internet connection.
- The console still needs enough free system memory or microSD storage for the update data.
- Automatic updating does not remove the same-version requirement for multiplayer. Other players must update their copies too.
- You can always use the manual Software Update → Via the Internet path when you need to force an immediate check.
If you are preparing for a scheduled race or a local wireless session, manually check the version rather than assuming an automatic update has already run.
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What Ver. 4.0.1 fixes
Corrected counts in Online Play and Wireless Play on Nintendo Switch 2
On Nintendo Switch 2, obstacle or Item Box counts could increase compared with Nintendo Switch during Online Play and Wireless Play. Ver. 4.0.1 fixes that discrepancy.
Restored registered-user selection in two-player sessions
The update fixes an issue that could prevent a registered user from being selected in two-player Online Play and Wireless Play.
Restored Star Bits on Wii Rainbow Road
Star Bits that were missing on Wii Rainbow Road on Nintendo Switch 2 are restored by Ver. 4.0.1.
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Nintendo also fixed unexpected game closures that occurred under certain conditions. The release information does not define one universal trigger, so updating is the appropriate first response if the game has been closing unexpectedly.
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- Nintendo Switch 2 uses a new standard of expandable memory card called microSD Express (sold separately). This kind of memory card is needed for faster access speeds and to ensure games will run smoothly.
- Please note: Nintendo Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards. If the microSD cards you have used for Nintendo Switch do not support microSD Express standards, you cannot use them with Nintendo Switch 2.
What the preceding Ver. 4.0.0 added
Nintendo Switch 2 display and television support
Ver. 4.0.0 added support for Nintendo Switch 2 display output and high-resolution televisions.
Shorter loading before races and battles
The update shortened the loading period before races and battles.
Five- to eight-player multiplayer on Nintendo Switch 2
On Nintendo Switch 2, Ver. 4.0.0 enabled multiplayer sessions for five to eight players. Nintendo’s recorded controller limit is up to seven Nintendo Switch controllers for an eight-player session, with at least one Joy-Con 2 or Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller required.
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Ver. 4.0.0 added CameraPlay support. A USB camera is required to use that feature; installing the game update alone does not provide a camera.
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Do you need Nintendo Switch Online to update?
No. The update download uses the console’s Internet connection, while Nintendo Switch Online is required for the game’s online features. You can therefore update Mario Kart 8 Deluxe without an Online membership, but you will need the membership when you use supported online play.
Nintendo states that the update “must be applied in order to use the game’s Internet features.” If online features are unavailable because the game is out of date, install the update first and then check the membership requirement for the mode you want to use.
Why all players must have the same version
Nintendo states that “all players must be using the same version of the software to play together.” This applies when players connect through the game’s multiplayer modes, including local wireless, LAN, and online sessions.
Updating one console can therefore temporarily prevent it from joining friends who remain on an earlier release. The practical fix is for every player to highlight Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, press + or –, choose Software Update, and select Via the Internet. Check each console’s displayed version before trying the session again.
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Troubleshooting update problems
The Software Update option is not appearing
- Make sure Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is highlighted on the HOME Menu rather than already running.
- Press the controller’s + or – button after highlighting the icon.
- Choose Software Update and then Via the Internet.
- Check the version number shown under the title. If it already reads Ver. 4.0.1, the console is on the latest release listed by Nintendo.
The download will not start
Confirm that the console is connected to the Internet. The manual option is specifically an Internet-based check, and automatic updating also requires Internet access. If the connection is available but the check still does not proceed, return to the HOME Menu and repeat the exact menu path with the game closed and highlighted.
The console says there is not enough space
Nintendo says update data may require sufficient space in system memory or on a microSD card. Free space in whichever storage location the console will use, then run the update again. A Nintendo Switch-compatible microSD card can provide additional storage when the console’s internal space is insufficient; it is not needed when the console already has enough free capacity.
Do not assume that deleting saved progress is necessary. Nintendo says save data remains available after downloading the update. The storage problem concerns room for the update data, not the loss of the game’s save data.
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Compare the displayed version on every console. Nintendo’s same-version rule means a console on Ver. 4.0.1 cannot play together with a console that remains on an earlier version. Update the remaining consoles and check their version numbers again before restarting local wireless, LAN, or online multiplayer.
The game still closes unexpectedly
Ver. 4.0.1 includes a fix for unexpected game closures under certain conditions. First confirm that the game shows Ver. 4.0.1. If it does, the software is on the release that contains Nintendo’s listed fix; the release notes do not identify every condition that could cause a closure.
A Nintendo Switch 2 feature is missing
Check that the console is running the current version rather than an earlier release. Nintendo introduced Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution-TV support, shorter pre-race and pre-battle loading, five- to eight-player multiplayer, and CameraPlay in Ver. 4.0.0. CameraPlay additionally requires a USB camera, and eight-player sessions have the controller requirements Nintendo specifies.
Manual versus automatic updating
| Method | Internet required | Free storage required | When it runs | Multiplayer consequence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual | Yes | Yes, in system memory or on a microSD card | When you select HOME Menu game icon → +/– → Software Update → Via the Internet | After updating, other players must use the same version to play together. |
| Automatic | Yes | Yes, in system memory or on a microSD card | Automatically when the console is connected to the Internet and Software Auto-Updates is enabled | The same-version requirement still applies to every player. |
Quick checklist before you play
- Connect each Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 console to the Internet.
- Highlight Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the HOME Menu without launching it.
- Press + or – and read the version number shown under the title.
- If necessary, select Software Update and then Via the Internet.
- Allow the download and installation to finish.
- Verify that each player’s copy shows the same version.
- For online features, confirm that the players who need them have Nintendo Switch Online membership.
- For CameraPlay, connect the required USB camera; for eight-player Nintendo Switch 2 sessions, check the controller requirements.
Bottom line
Use the HOME Menu’s Software Update → Via the Internet command to bring Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to Nintendo’s current Ver. 4.0.1, released October 13, 2026. Keep enough system or microSD storage available, and update every participating console so local, LAN, and online multiplayer players are on the same version.
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