TheMario Kartseries has been always been one ofNintendo’s most profitable and highest-selling. The Switch entry into the franchise is no different. AlthoughAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsis hot on its heels,Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis the best-selling Nintendo Switch game to date. However, it may be time for a new entry into the beloved racing series, and there are a few reasons to believe thatMario Kart 9would thrive if released in the near future.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis technically a port of the Wii U title, albeit one with some new features, modes, and more. The game also released in April 2017 as a launch window title for the Switch. The real driving force behind a newMario Karttitle could be the idea that a new Nintendo Switch Pro may be on the way, according to recent rumors and reports. With Nintendo not having yet developed aMario Kartgame from the ground up for the Switch, and Nintendo perhaps releasing a Pro console in the near future, now may be the perfect time to launchMario Kart 9.
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The Newest Switch Pro Rumors
Details about the new Switch Prohave been trickling out day after day. If true, the upgraded console could be larger, have an upgraded OLED screen, be higher resolution (possibly 4K), and be more powerful internally. The system may also have an ethernet connection and a better kickstand as well, according to some other rumors.
Leaks say that the “Super Switch” will be revealed in just a few days, perhaps even this Thursday. The console would then be sold to consumers in the late Summer early Fall. Interestingly, the reports claim that the original 2017 Nintendo Switch will be phased out and the new Switch Pro will replace it. However, the Switch Lite will remain, making theNintendo Pro and Lite a perfect one-two punch.Mario Kart 9could, in theory, mirror this idea by replacing 2017’sMario Kart 8 Deluxesoon after the launch of the Switch Pro.
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Nintendo’s Recent Creative Mario Kart Push
AlthoughMario Kart 8on the Wii U was seen as a well-received entry, and theDeluxeversion on the Switch is thebest-selling racing game of all time, Nintendo has not rested on its laurels in theMario Kartdepartment over the past few years. In fact, Nintendo has been creative and aggressive with the plumpy plumber’s racing series, and it could use some of those fresh ideas onMario Kart 9.
Mario Kart Tourreleased on July 13, 2025, and has been a success for Nintendo. ThemobileMario Kartgame has been downloaded over 200 million timesand earned Nintendo over $200 million in revenue in its first 18 months. To help earn said revenue, the game has various microtransactions, a Gold Pass subscription, Premium Challenges, and the like. Additionally, Nintendo keeps the game fresh with rotational events/Tours with new content (the type of things that it could attempt to do withMario Kart 9).
Meanwhile, Nintendo’sMario Kart Live: Home Circuit(which released in October of 2020) is the perfect example of the Japanese company’s unique creativity. Theextended trailer ofMario Kart Live: Home Circuitshows everything that a player needs to know about this enticing technology. Fans can create their own course at home in a living room, kitchen, bedroom, etc., and then live out aMario Kartdream on a Nintendo Switch via augmented reality.
The final product is much deeper than one may think initially, as the game allows players to not only create courses and compete at home on the Switch in AR, but it also allows for unlocks aplenty. Players can progress through Grand Prix challenges in different themes across various stages, and more. A brilliant idea would be to take the course creation principle and apply it toMario Kart 9, something many fans would be very exciting about.
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Imagining Mario Kart 9 on a More Powerful Nintendo Switch Pro
Nintendo has been far from silent when it comes to theMario Kartseries over the past few years. However, when it comes to a proper mainlineMario Kartgame on a home console, however, it has been seven years sinceMario Kart 8launched on the Wii U. It is time forMario Kart 9.
According to rumors, thepre-orders for the Switch Pro will go live soon. While there’s a slim chance of that happening, it is exciting to imagineMario Kart 9on a more powerful Switch.Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis already a gorgeous game on Nintendo’s hybrid console, a less graphically impressive console than its competitors. Nintendo is great at getting all the juice out of its consoles thanks in part to art style and brilliant design. Players could still have fun playingMario Kart 9on the Switch Lite, but being able to play the same game with a higher frame rate, 4K resolution, and more on the brand new Switch Pro would be very thrilling.
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The newMario Karttitle could also attempt to do things entirely different, like a story mode.Mario Kart 9could try an adventure mode, a laDiddy Kong Racing. Thanks in part to the power of the Switch Pro,Mario Kart 9could go “open world” in terms of its campaign. The standard layout of Grand Prix and unlocks have worked for plenty of games in the series, but something unique and new may be a nice direction for the franchise.
Another wonderful idea would be forMario Kart 9to have a course creator.Mario Kart Live: Home Circuitsaw remarkable creations, as Nintendo fans were able to set up kooky creations throughout their house. However, that imagination should not be limited to one’s living room. Nintendo should give fans the tools to make their own Rainbow Road, Waluigi Pinball, or Royal Raceway — very similarly to Nintendo giving fans the keys to The Mushroom Kingdom withMario Maker.
Thanks to the possibility of the Switch Pro being on the way, theNintendo Switch could soon become the highest-selling video game console of all time. And with over 35 million copies sold,Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis the best-selling Switch game. Nintendo would be wise to release anotherMario Kartgame on the Switch, specifically on the Switch Pro if the rumors are true, to continue itsMario Kartdominance.
