I’m a Mario Kart super-fan. I’ve played every single entry in the series from the legendary original on the SNES through to the modern classic that is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. So, when Mario Kart World was teased alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 back in January, I knew I’d be picking the console up at launch. And it hasn’t disappointed me in the slightest.
Yep, I’ve been hooked on Mario Kart World since it released – I’ve already logged 60 hours on the game, though I’m not sure if that’s something to be proud of… And after unlocking each and every character, costume, and cup, I knew it was about time I shared the fun with some colleagues and pals alike.
So, I set up an eight-player Mario Kart World tournament at the Future Labs office, and I’m delighted to say I took the trophy home! But making the tournament happen did require a fair amount of forward planning. I’m here, then, to share everything I needed to make this chaotic competition happen. If you’re thinking of hosting a similar event, here’s what you’ll need.
1. Multiple Switch 2 systems
Right, so if you’re going to be playing with four players or less – don’t worry – one Switch 2 is more than enough. But, otherwise, you’re going to need at least a couple of systems at your disposal.
But wait… doesn’t Mario Kart World open up the possibility for 24 racers to face off against one another? Well, yes, but not locally, unless you get a LAN party going (a bit old school, I know).
See, you can only have four players per system in local multiplayer, which will create a four-window split for each person to focus on. And if you’re connecting via Wireless Play or LAN, you’re only allowed to have two players per system.
Notably, Wireless Play only supports 8 Switch 2 consoles at once – that’s a maximum of 16 players overall. If you’ve somehow rounded up 24 Mario Kart enthusiasts in one space, LAN will be your only option – though everyone will need to connect their consoles to a router via ethernet – something that’s not going to be an option for most players.
How to unlock LAN Play
Wondering where LAN Play is? Well, I’m sure you’re not alone in your confusion! To unlock it, head over to the main menu, highlight wireless play, hold L and R and click the left stick in. And there you have it! (Image credit: Nintendo)
For our eight-player party, we were limited to two Switch 2 systems only – both of which had a copy of Mario Kart World installed. So, we decided to set up two identical 4-player VS Races on each console, with the highest scoring player on each system facing off in a best-of-three race at the end.
If you have four Switch 2s – and indeed, displays – at hand, an eight-player tourney will be even better in Wireless Mode. Each player will get half a screen, rather than a quarter, and you’ll experience fewer frame rate drops, too.
2. Well-sized 4K displays
I mentioned it a couple of times in the last point, but if you’re hosting a Mario Kart World tournament, you’ll want to have at least one quality display close by.
Sure, you could have two players per Switch and connect up via Wireless Play, but I find that staring at the small screen for longer than an hour or so can get a little strenuous on the eye. Instead, I’d highly recommend getting everyone in front of a TV or two (or more) for the fully fledged multiplayer experience.
Another thing: if you really want to make the most of what the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World has to offer, you’ll also want to ensure that your displays support 4K HDR. If they do, make sure you have HDR output active in the ‘Display’ section in your Switch 2’s settings, and calibrate it optimally for your screen. With 4K HDR, colors will really pop, making for a truly gorgeous gaming experience.
For my tournament, we were lucky enough to be using two of the best OLED TVs released in 2025: the LG G5 and the Samsung S95F. To say these TVs performed beautifully would be an understatement – both absolutely blew me away.
But the S95F, for me, was the standout – the vibrancy of Mario Kart World was captured incredibly faithfully. Each gaming TV was 65 inches, but anything sized 43 inches and up will work perfectly for any local multiplayer madness.
Of course, you could also use one of the best gaming monitors or a non-OLED model from our guide to the best TVs – just make sure your displays support 4K, 60Hz gameplay.
3. A bunch of controllers
As I mentioned earlier, we only had two Nintendo Switch 2 consoles, and by extensions, four Joy-Con 2 controllers. As a result, we had to come together to make up the four-controller shortfall. But there are so many options to make this work, and you might not even have to spend a penny.
Yes, if you’ve already got the original Nintendo Switch and your Joy-Cons haven’t succumbed to a drift-riddled death, you can connect them up to your Switch 2 with ease. And what’s more, the original Joy-Cons will work on a load of Switch 2 games, including, of course, Mario Kart World. I brought the Joy-Cons from my Animal Crossing: New Horizons edition of the Nintendo Switch (I still can’t get enough of the pastel colors) and handed them out to two of my colleagues.
As for the final two controllers, I thought it would only be right to whip out the good stuff. We used two classic style wireless controllers, the Manba One and Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless. Both of these models are compatible with the original Switch and Switch 2 alike, and if you also have some older wireless controllers laying about – including the OG Nintendo Switch Pro Controller – it’s likely they’ll sync up too.
So there you have it, that’s everything I needed to set up a wild and whacky Mario Kart World tournament. Have you hosted one yet, or perhaps, do you plan to at some stage soon? If so, I’d love to hear all about your plans in the comments!