The launch of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch is coming up quickly, and new details are springing up every day as gameplay videos and reviews roll out. Most of the surprises as fun, but Polygon has discovered a pretty weird restriction when playing the game in Wireless Play mode.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the definitive version of the original Wii U title. It comes packed with all characters and courses–DLC’s included–as well as new items, characters, and play modes.
The racing game utilizes one of the Switch’s most prominent features: the various setup versions for different types of gameplay. Players can race on a TV or on the handheld tablet, and both modes have several controller options, such as a pair of Joy-Cons attached to the Switch or a grip or held separately, a single Joy-Con held horizontally, and a Pro Controller.
While you’re mostly free to choose whichever controller setup you like, in Wireless Play mode where at least one Switch is using split-screen multiplayer, players can only use a single, horizontally-held Joy-Con or a Pro Controller.
So if at least three people are playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on two different Switches, no one can use Joy-Cons attached to a grip. The game’s controller screen, pictured above, even specifies as much.
The Controller Pairing FAQ on the Nintendo Switch support page gives some details on why this restriction is in place.
“Up to eight wireless controllers can be connected to the [Nintendo Switch] console. However, the maximum number of controllers that can be connected will vary depending on the type of controllers and features that are used.”
Using bluetooth for Wireless Play and syncing up two pair of Joy-Cons–four controllers total–could put too much on a single Switch and cause the controllers to either desync or lag.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe launches April 28th for the Nintendo Switch.
