In a newly published interview from Nintendo, some fascinating insights were shared about the development process of Mario Kart World. According to Kenta Sato, the game’s programming director, the project originally began development for the Nintendo Switch. However, in 2020, the development team made a pivotal decision to shift to a next-generation platform—a move that ultimately changed the direction of the game.
Sato explained:
“During development for the Nintendo Switch, it was incredibly difficult to fit everything we wanted into the game. We were constantly weighing what we’d have to sacrifice.”
He mentioned that the team even considered reducing the game’s resolution, simplifying graphics, and capping the frame rate at 30 FPS. The constant trade-offs between technical performance and ambitious game design made the development process quite challenging.
A Turning Point with the Booster Course Pass
Kosuke Yabuki, the game’s producer, added more context:
“We began work on Mario Kart World around the same time that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe launched. As we continued development and released the Booster Course Pass, we found an opportunity to give this new project more time. That’s when the idea of moving the game to the next console came up—and it felt like a ray of hope. The whole team breathed a sigh of relief.”
Sato noted that in 2020, the team only had limited technical specs about the Switch 2 and initially had to work based on educated guesses. The first development kits were delivered a bit later.
He continued:
“At first, working on the original Switch brought a lot of concern—especially trying to balance our creative ideas with hardware limitations. While the Switch performs well for many games, the vast world we were designing for Mario Kart World made running it at 60 FPS seem nearly impossible. But after switching to the new hardware, it was like all the pressure disappeared. I still remember the moment we realized we could go beyond our original goals.”
A New Era for Mario Kart Begins
Mario Kart World and the Nintendo Switch 2 are set to launch on June 5, 2025. There will also be a special bundle including both the game and the new console for $499.99, though this offer is limited and will no longer be available after Fall 2025.
With its ambitious open-world design and seamless transitions between tracks, Mario Kart World appears to be more than just a sequel—it aims to redefine the entire franchise.
For official updates and full details as the launch date approaches, stay tuned to Zoomji.
