Control a real-life Mario Kart with Nintendo Switch and watch it come to life in the game! Race a real-world Mario Kart™ through your home! Use the Nintendo Switch™ system to control your kart and watch as it reacts to what’s happening in the game as you boost and drift to victory. Just make sure each player has their own Nintendo Switch system, the Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit game and a Mario kart or Luigi kart (sold separately).
General Information
About the karts
Set Up and Play
Troubleshooting
General Information
How does Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit work?
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit brings the fun of the Mario Kart series into the real world by using a Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch Lite system to race against opponents using a physical kart.
Players place gates to create a custom course layout in their home. Players then control the kart on the Nintendo Switch system while watching the live video from the kart’s camera on the Nintendo Switch game screen or TV (if playing in TV mode while docked).
The physical kart responds to boosts in-game and in the real world, stops when hit with an item, and can be affected in different ways depending on the race.
How much does Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit cost?
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, which is available in Mario Set and Luigi Set, will be available at a suggested retail price of $99.99 (each) in the US and $129.99 (each) in Canada.
The Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit software is download only, so just follow the included instructions to download it from the Nintendo eShop. (The software itself is free of charge.)
In what countries is Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit available?
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Chile. It is not currently available elsewhere in the Americas.
Does the set only include one kart? Can I still play with only one set? Can I play with multiple sets?
Please see our information on what is included in each Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit set.
How many players/karts does the game support?
Up to four people can play together locally. Each person must have their own Nintendo Switch system, physical kart and downloaded game. For more information, please see How to Start a Multiplayer Race in Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit.
Does the game have any online functionality?
There are no online features in this game.
About the karts
How long is the battery life of the kart?
The kart battery life will vary depending on how you play. For more information, please see How to Charge the Kart.
How long does the kart take to charge?
The amount of time it takes to charge the kart can vary. Please see How to Charge the Kart for more information.
How do I charge the karts?
Please see How to Charge the Kart.
What types of floor/surface can the karts run on?
A hard, flat surface is recommended for the best gameplay experience. However, the physical kart will work on other types of flooring such as rugs and carpets, as long as they do not have long fibers or heavily textured designs.
What is the range for the kart?
We recommend playing within a range of 15 feet (approximately 5 meters) or less of the Nintendo Switch system when racing.
How durable are the karts?
The karts are designed to withstand reasonable indoor use on a flat surface, and they can handle bumping into household items used to design the course, such as boxes, blocks and furniture.
Is the kart covered under a limited warranty?
Yes. The kart is covered under a limited warranty for 12 months from the date of purchase. See our Warranty and Service Information for more details.
Set Up and Play
How much space is needed to play?
For information about setting up a course, including recommended space requirements, please see How to Create a Course in Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit.
Can I play on the TV screen?
Yes, you can play on the TV screen using a Nintendo Switch and dock.
We recommend TV mode for players who want to watch together with their family on the TV screen.
Note: TV mode cannot be used with the Nintendo Switch Lite.
Can I also play with Nintendo Switch Lite?
Yes, you can play using a Nintendo Switch Lite system.
You can charge the karts using the included USB charging cable or the Nintendo Switch Lite AC Adapter.
How do I connect the Nintendo Switch to the kart?
Please see How to Connect the Kart to Nintendo Switch.
How many gates can be used in a race?
For information about setting up a course, please see How to Create a Course in Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit.
Can I decorate/customize the gates?
Decorating or customizing the gates can impact their functionality and prevent the camera on the kart from properly reading them, so it is not recommended. However, we encourage people to get creative with their course designs by adding fun obstacles and household items.
Can I play the game outdoors?
Nintendo Switch Mario Live Circuit
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit and the karts are designed for indoor use only, and exposure to outdoor elements like weather and dirt could impact the performance and longevity of the product.
For the best gameplay experience, we recommend racing the kart on a flat surface. Playing on elevated surfaces can impact the gameplay and performance of the physical kart.
Can I play on carpet or rugs?
The kart is designed to race across a variety of flat, indoor surfaces such as hardwood, laminate, tile, and short pile carpeting, so it’s possible to combine multiple different surface types in a single track. We recommend players avoid racing on carpets that have long fibers or heavily-textured designs, and that the floor is free of hair and other debris that could become entangled in the kart's wheels.
Do physical obstacles I place in the course affect the virtual racers/Koopalings in the game?
Nintendo Switch Mario Kart Live Home Circuit
Only the course design and in-game settings such as environments affect the CPU players. Physical obstacles create distractions and change the way human players navigate a course, adding new layers of fun and customization to each race. Additionally, if the physical kart hits a stationary object, the player will lose coins in-game.
Troubleshooting
What happens if one of the gates is damaged?
If a gate is damaged or becomes unreadable by the camera on the kart, please see The Kart Does Not Recognize the Gate While Driving.
Why can’t I capture screenshots or video clips using the built-in “share” button on the Nintendo Switch system?
Nintendo Switch Mario Kart Live Home Circuit Mario Set
Capturing and sharing capabilities are not available for Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit.