Even with a shiny new Mario Kart game on the shelves, folks are still picking up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Not only is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the best-selling Switch game, it’s one of the best-selling video games ever. Its decade-long run as the newest Mario Kart game on a Nintendo console finally came to an end in June, when the Switch 2 launched alongside Mario Kart World. The Switch 2 and its launch title have done quite well, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still managed to move 660,000 units during that time.
Nintendo’s Q1 2026 earnings report was released earlier today and revealed that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe added another 660,000 unit sales to its total during the quarter that also saw the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart World. This brings the lifetime sales of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to 68,860,000.
Backwards compatibility is a big aspect of the Switch 2, and owners of the new console can use it to play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Mario Kart World was a departure from the formula of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and the two games feature different tracks, characters, and mechanics.
The continued success of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe isn’t any indication of poor performance from Mario Kart World. In fact, Mario Kart World sold 5.82 million copies in its first quarter on the market. It had a strong attach rate for the Switch 2, which has sold 8.82 million units.
Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom’s desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_
