Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has received a new update, adding some surprising new controller functionality.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has received a new update, adding some surprising new controller functionality.
The hugely popular Nintendo Switch title now works with Nintendo’s DIY construction platform Nintendo Labo—specifically, the handlebar control configuration.
The handlebars can be twisted, turned, and manipulated to control the vehicles in game. The acceleration and turning are pretty immersive in this mode, with the other joy-con buttons used for boosting, items, and other controls within the game.
Obviously in the trailer the handlebars are used to control a motorbike. There’s no reason it shouldn’t work with cars too, though that might be a little bit weird and not really give you the effect Nintendo is going for.
If you have the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit, you can use the handlebars in game right now. And if your friends have it too or you own multiple kits, you can use multiple Labo controllers with one system.
This won’t be the last game to get Labo functionality either, as Nintendo says it has plans to expand the games it works with. Mario Kart 8 is the first, which makes sense—the handlebars are a pretty straightforward crossover, and MK8 Deluxe is one of the Switch’s flagship titles.
Back in October, the Switch also added third-party peripheral support which enabled players to use GameCube controllers. A new version of the iconic controller is coming later this year, alongside the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
