OK, so what can you play on the Nintendo Switch 2? Mario Kart, apparently.
Nintendo debuted the Switch 2 on Thursday, finally shining an official light on the worst kept secret from the past several years. The short video focused largely on the Switch 2’s hardware — the new features and upgrades that make the console next generation. Of course, the hardware is very little without games, and despite them not being the focus of the announcement, Nintendo did give a brief look at what appears to be Mario Kart 9 (or whatever Nintendo ends up calling it).
The sneak peek at the game is very short — seconds long — and shows iconic Mario Kart racers speeding through a desert racetrack that’s called the Mario Bros. Circuit, and tearing by a Yoshi’s drive-in restaurant and billboards for Luigi’s Tires. When the camera pulls back on the track, you can see that it’s set in a vast, but seemingly desolate desert setting.
The video appears to confirm that up to 24 racers will compete at the same time, a new high for the franchise. Eagle-eyed fans have also caught some character redesigns, including a Donkey Kong that looks closer to his Mario movie counterpart.
Beyond a new Mario Kart, Nintendo said in November 2024 that the Switch 2 will be backward-compatible with Switch games — meaning most Switch games will work on the Switch 2, and players won’t have to repurchase games they had previously bought for their older console.
Nintendo’s last Mario Kart game, Mario Kart 8, was released on Wii U in 2014, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released on Nintendo Switch in 2017 with original DLC. Nintendo has continued to support the game for years, adding dozens more circuits and a bunch of new characters. The game’s long been a critical and commercial success; Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling Nintendo Switch game, clocking in at 64 million units sold. The next best-selling game is Animal Crossing: New Horizons with 46 million sold. The original Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U was the best seller on that console, too, with 8 million copies sold.
With those sorts of numbers, it makes sense Nintendo would lead with a fan-favorite that’s beloved by millions.