Mario Kart World was outsold by its predecessor, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, in July. The competition may not be entirely fair for Mario Kart World right now, as it is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2, which has far fewer owners than the original Switch. Still, it is notable that a new-gen installment is facing competition from an eight-year-old game.
Mario Kart World launched on June 5, 2025, as a flagship title for the Nintendo Switch 2. It quickly reached several milestones and sold millions of copies worldwide, thanks to being one of the console's most wishlisted games. However, it appears that sales have currently slowed down, allowing Nintendo's other popular racing game to dominate the charts.
Mario Kart World Physical Sales Surpass Major Milestone
Mario Kart World's physical sales in Japan achieve a major milestone, further cementing the success of the Switch 2's flagship launch game.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Outsold Mario Kart World in July 2025
According to Mat Piscatella of Circana, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe outsold the franchise's 2025 installment in July in terms of physical copy sales. His report shows that Mario Kart World fell from first to sixth place among the bestselling Nintendo games, while its predecessor rose to fourth. Interestingly, both racing titles were still overtaken by one of the Switch 2's most acclaimed games, Donkey Kong Bananza.
Content - July 2025 Top 10 Best-Selling Premium Games on Nintendo Platforms - U.S. (Dollar Sales, Physical and Digital from digital data sharing publishers, excludes add-on content) — Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2025-08-27T13:00:09.719Z
Fans should note that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has a much larger potential audience. Available on both the Switch and Switch 2, it can reach nearly 158 million users. In contrast, Mario Kart World is exclusive to the Switch 2, a console that has sold only six million units. In fact, reports suggest that Mario Kart World has sold roughly as many copies as there are Switch 2 consoles, highlighting its financial success.
The new installment in the Mario Kart franchise had a rough start with user reception. Many fans were frustrated by some of its revamped or removed features, as well as a post-launch update. Additionally, at $80 USD, it is a pricey title on a console that launched at a higher price than many anticipated. These factors may have contributed to it falling behind in sales compared to more polished and affordable games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Despite this, there is still a strong chance that Mario Kart World's sales will pick up as the Switch 2 user base grows, potentially selling millions more copies.
In the coming years, it will be interesting to see how the competition between the two Mario Kart games unfolds. What seems certain is that Nintendo will continue supporting both titles for a long time, and fans can expect more updates, particularly for Mario Kart World, which is being refined with each patch.
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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
Hit the open road with Mario and friends! Zip around courses in a vast world where everything is connected. Race along grassy plains, bustling cities, wide-open waters, big ol' volcanos, and more—plus everything in between.
A sprawling world of courses. Speed across plains, cities, water, volcanos, and much more. Everything is connected!
Go beyond the course. There's more to racing than just the course. Hop off the course and race the distance to the next one!
Free Roam - Drive wherever your heart takes you. Where to? That's up to you! Take off in any direction in this new mode. Explore areas that pique your interest, and maybe even snap some in-game pics at scenic spots.
Play Together - Have a blast with friends, whether near or far. Up to 4 players can race on the same system. Play using your choice of button controls or motion controls. Attach a Joy-Con 2 controller to the optional Joy-Con 2 wheel accessory to wheely feel like you're driving. You can also play using Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers connected wirelessly.
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Prequel(s)
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Franchise
- Mario Kart
- Number of Players
- 1-24
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- June 5, 2025
- Genre(s)
- Racing, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch 2
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
