Nintendo May Soon Release "Mario Kart" as a PC Game

July 6, 2022, 3:51 pm | Read time: 2 minutes

The “Mario Kart” series has been a crucial component of Nintendo’s success. Now there are hints that we might soon be racing with Mario and friends on the PC.

Nintendo is one of the largest game developers in the world. Additionally, the Japanese company has been very successful with its consoles. Until now, it was only possible to play Nintendo titles on their own gaming devices, such as the Nintendo Switch. This could change in the future–and “Mario Kart” is making the first move.

Hints of a PC Version of “Mario Kart” Emerge

Keeping games within its own ecosystem–that has been Nintendo’s motto so far. And this strategy has worked very well for the company. Those who want to play major titles like “Zelda: Breath of the Wild” need to turn to the Nintendo Switch. Only on smartphones have popular Nintendo characters appeared in games in recent years. “Pokémon Go” is probably the most prominent name here. However, since 2019, there has also been a mobile game from the highly popular series with “Mario Kart Tour.” And it is in this game that hints have been hidden suggesting a PC version of “Mario Kart” might be planned.

Some data miners discovered the option “mouse support” in the code after the latest update of the mobile game. A native emulation also seems to be a possibility.

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Also of interest: Nintendo ends support for Mario Kart game

A Slimmed-Down Version Seems Likely

This does not mean that we can expect a full-fledged “Mario Kart” version for the PC. It is most likely a spin-off of the mobile game. Nintendo has not yet commented on this. Nevertheless, it would be a remarkable step. So far, it has only been possible to play Nintendo games on the PC using an emulator.

The most likely reason for this move is Google’s much-publicized gaming offensive. The company is currently working on a new PlayStore specifically for the PC. The offering is expected to launch this year and include various Android games. This could be serious competition for Nintendo games and products, which are geared towards flexibility. If the door to Mario and friends on the PC were opened, many more exciting projects would be conceivable.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of TECHBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@techbook.de.