The Switch game comes with either a Mario or Luigi kart.
If your family loves the Mario Kart series (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is one of the best family-friendly games for the Switch), you’ll soon be able to enjoy the franchise’s kart-racing gameplay in a new way by creating race tracks in your own home.
In a video presentation Thursday, Nintendo revealed Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, a Switch game created in partnership with Velan Studios that allows players to control a physical kart in the real-world by using augmented reality technology on the Switch.
In Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, you can place four physical gates around your room to create tracks of any shape. Then, you can place the physical Mario or Luigi kart(s) on the track and drive them around.
Each kart comes equipped with a camera that outputs to the Switch’s screen so you can see where you’re driving. That is, instead of racing on virtual tracks like in other Mario Kart games, you’ll see the real-world environment on the screen thanks to the camera on the back of the kart.
Like other Mario Kart games, Mario Kart Live will allow you to toss objects at your virtual opponents, and you’ll also need to watch out for obstacles like banana peels that may be dropped on the course. You can compete against computer-controlled opponents, as well as play with other people in the same room.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit will support up to four-player local multiplayer, but each person will need their own Switch, kart, and copy of the game to join in.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit will launch on October 16 for $99.99. You can choose either a Mario Set or a Luigi Set, depending on the kart you want to own. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
