Smart steering isn't new to Mario Kart World, having shown up in previous entries, including the most recent Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. While it's a great accessibility tool for newcomers, those who are more experienced racers will find it a bit intrusive into the experience and generally quite annoying. In this guide, I'll explain what smart steering is in Mario Kart World and how to turn it off so you can enjoy your races assist-free.
What Is Smart Steering in Mario Kart World?
A Pretty Noticeable Assist
Smart steering is turned on by default in Mario Kart World and essentially helps the player steer their kart, by helping them turn around corners and avoid obstacles. This can be great for younger players who aren't quite as experienced in racing games and might find the fast-paced, chaotic action of Mario Kart World difficult to keep up with. This is especially true on tracks such as Rainbow Road where there's a risk of falling off the track.
While smart steering has its benefits for novice players, more experienced players will find it intrusive to the experience as it can prevent them from drifting around corners and getting other turbo boosts to help propel them into pole position.
You can tell when smart steering is enabled and taking control of your kart by the antenna on the back of your kart. When smart steering is active, the antenna will flash yellow.
How to Turn Off Smart Steering in Mario Kart World
Know Where to Look
To turn off smart steering, press the + button on your Nintendo Switch 2 to access the pause menu. From here, press X to access the controls/settings menu. The Smart Steering toggle is at the top of this menu, and can be turned on and off whenever a player wants, including in the middle of a race or the free-roam open world.
It's worth noting that if you try to turn off smart steering in the middle of an online match, the race won't pause, so you'll quickly fall behind in the race unless you're incredibly quick at navigating the settings or have a big lead in the race. However, once you've decided to either have it enabled or disabled, chances are you won't touch the setting again.
Should You Use Smart Steering in Mario Kart World?
No Single Answer for Everyone
As noted earlier, smart steering is great for gaming novices and younger players who might need a helping hand to remain competitive. It can help keep multiplayer games among friends and family competitive and enjoyable.
More experienced players will most likely want to turn the setting off. It can feel very intrusive while you're playing and will probably be more of a hindrance than a help.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- June 5, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone // Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Racing, Open-World
