Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online now seems to have an advantage for Nintendo Switch 1 players vs. Switch 2

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online now seems to have an advantage for Nintendo Switch 1 players vs. Switch 2

Posted on September 4, 2026 by Brian(@NE_Brian)
in Switch, Switch 2, Videos

Following this week’s update, if you’re playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online on the original Nintendo Switch compared to a Switch 2 player, you may have an advantage.

Nintendo released a major version 4.0.0 update just a few days ago. It came with all sorts of goodies for Nintendo Switch 2 users like increased resolution and additional player support when playing splitscreen multiplayer.

GameXplain has now pointed out some interesting discrepancies between the two systems. Hazards are appearing on Nintendo Switch 2 which apparently aren’t on Switch 1.

On one course, the person on Nintendo Switch 2 comes across gas canisters which aren’t present on Switch 1. On another course, which is Mario Circuit GBA, there aren’t black tires on Nintendo Switch while they’re seen on Switch 2. This happens at different parts of the track.

The good thing is that these hazards aren’t directly on the track. They’re more on the sidelines, though it can become problematic especially if you’re looking to make up some time by going a bit off road when using a Mushroom.

There may also be a strange glitch on Piranha Plant Pipeline. GameXplain points out some oddities in which the item boxes aren’t syncing between players. However, it’s not immediately clear if this is a Nintendo Switch 1 vs. Switch 2 problem or something that’s more general.

Here’s a closer look at the differences:

You can find the full patch notes for the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 4.0.0 update here. We also have a new Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Switch 1 comparison for the game here.

Have you downloaded the update yourself and given it a go? If so, have you noticed these issues? Let us know in the comments.