‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’ Auto-Driving Lets You Cheat Wins With No Controller On Switch

Different kart parts but same ol' Luigi stare.
Different kart parts but same ol' Luigi stare. Nintendo

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe isn’t designed to reinvent the wheel when it comes to new features, but two fresh additions are causing a stir on the internet these days. Check out this easy way to cheat free wins without picking up your Switch controller.

The footage, recorded by the fine folks at GameXplain, is a perfect demonstration of two new options Nintendo has added to help younger or more inexperienced players. Auto Accelerate guarantees your kart always moves forward without pulling down on the trigger. Smart Steering, on the other hand, is essentially an autopilot to help navigate those tricky turns.

Since acceleration and turning are the only requirements to make it to the finish line, these Nintendo fans performed a test to see if it was possible to win without any controller input at all. After taking Luigi on a quick run through Mount Wario, the answer was a resounding yes. AI must be on a lower cc for this to work, but the results were pretty intense regardless.

It obviously doesn’t translate to the most exciting race in the world considering items are a total non-factor and the movements are so controlled, but it’s still interesting to see just how far Nintendo was willing to take its “baby mode” options to make its Switch kart racer supremely accessible. Because you engage so rarely, however, it doesn’t seem like this could be exploited to grind for coins and parts. It’s possible, but it would probably take too long to be worth it.

This isn’t the most revelatory piece of Mario Kart 8 news, but it’s still amusing. For more details on this upcoming Switch release, feel free to read our full review. Spoiler alert, we loved the game and its new Battle Mode.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe comes to Nintendo Switch April 28. It’s being sold it bundle form at GameStop.

What do you think of Mario Kart 8’s new Auto Accelerate and Smart Steering options? Do they go too far? Tell us in the comments section!

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