Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Console, equipment and network requirements for running Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in Valor lessons. This page covers Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, not Mario Kart World.
What you need
| Item | Minimum practical setup | What Valor recommends |
|---|---|---|
| Game and console | Compatible Nintendo console with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and current software | Standardise versions and required DLC or content before a class or inter-school session |
| Controllers | One compatible controller per player in the selected mode | Consistent controllers with labelled charging and storage, plus spares |
| Display | A supported console display and play mode | A docked shared display with enough viewing space for the planned split-screen count |
| LAN equipment | For the wired setup: docks, Ethernet, a shared router, and a network switch or LAN adapter where ports are needed | A managed classroom LAN with enough physical ports. Test every console at once |
| Storage | 11.3 GB on Switch and 11.8 GB on Switch 2 | Keep update and DLC headroom, and recheck the console store before deployment |
| Online account | Nintendo Account and Nintendo Switch Online membership for online play | School-approved accounts and memberships, tested before class |
Sources: Nintendo's LAN play guide and the product page. The right-hand column is our operational guidance, not Nintendo's hardware minimums. No PC CPU or GPU requirement applies to this deployment.
Play modes and player counts
- LAN play supports up to 12 players on consoles connected to the same shared router, with two players per console supported.
- Original Switch: 1-4 players on one system, 2-8 over local wireless and 2-12 online.
- Switch 2 update (2 September 2026): up to 8 players on one screen in local multiplayer, with one controller each. This limit is Switch 2 specific: update details.
- To switch to LAN play: at the game menu hold L + R and press the left stick, create a room on the host console and join it from the other consoles. This is Nintendo's own mode, not a tunnelling workaround.
- Start the game from the console HOME Menu. There is no Steam or Epic launcher and no PC anti-cheat component.
Network requirements
- Classroom LAN: put the participating consoles on an approved shared classroom network and allow them to see each other. Do not isolate the consoles from one another.
- Nintendo does not publish a precise local port matrix for LAN play, so test the exact number of consoles and controllers you plan to use.
- Online play needs the Nintendo account and membership setup, and a working connection to the Nintendo services below.
Nintendo service domains
- Nintendo Account and eShop: accounts.nintendo.com, cdn.accounts.nintendo.com, beach.hac.lp1.eshop.nintendo.net, tagaya.hac.lp1.eshop.nintendo.net
- Switch Online sign-in and matchmaking: lp1.npns.srv.nintendo.net, consumer.lp1.npns.srv.nintendo.net, broker.lp1.npns.srv.nintendo.net, app-a05.lp1.npns.srv.nintendo.net, dauth-lp1.ndas.srv.nintendo.net, capi.lp1.op2.nintendo.net, e0d67c509fb203858ebcb2fe3f88c2aa.baas.nintendo.com
- Peer connections and relay servers: veer.hac.lp1.d4c.nintendo.net, atum.hac.lp1.d4c.nintendo.net, sun.hac.lp1.d4c.nintendo.net, dragons.hac.lp1.dragons.nintendo.net
- Downloads, updates and news: bcat-list-lp1.cdn.nintendo.net, bcat-data-lp1.cdn.nintendo.net, bcat-topics-lp1.cdn.nintendo.net, ctest.cdn.nintendo.net, receive-lp1.dg.srv.nintendo.net
NAT and optional features
- Nintendo prefers NAT Type A and describes Type B as compatible with most other types. Record the console test result and still test the actual race room.
- CameraPlay and GameChat on Switch 2 are optional and not racing requirements. They need a compatible USB-C camera, internet, a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership and mobile-number registration. Leave them off unless your school has approved them.
Before your first lesson
- Test the exact number of controllers and the intended split-screen mode.
- LAN: create and join one room using every console and finish several races. Online: test the actual accounts, room and remote participants with all school consoles active.
- Verify any required DLC or content is installed, and prepare updates and licences separately from the race connectivity test.
Publisher support links
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