Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is already one of the finest looking games Nintendo has ever released, but how could the series look if a new, shiny 4K version of the Switch were to hit stores in the near future?
Well, thanks to YouTube user Snazzy AI – who we've featured on the site a couple of times now – we can get just a taste of how Mario and co. might look while racing around in glorious 4K and at 60 frames-per-second. The video above shows an official Mario Kart trailer that has been upscaled for our viewing pleasure, so make sure to load it up on a 4K-ready screen and enjoy.
If a future Switch was to make use of Nvidia's DLSS 2.0 rendering tech, it'd probably end up looking a little something like this. SnazzyAI tells us, "The cartoony graphics of Mario Kart perfectly matched with the AI upscaler as it didn't have to worry about adding detail to the textures and could focus purely on increasing the pixels, smoothing out the edges, and maintaining the original look, while also making it sharper."
This trick works wonders on most games, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. If you want more 4K Nintendo, check out the video below.
Can Mario Kart really get any prettier? Are you fussed about Nintendo one day jumping into the world of 4K? Share your thoughts with us below.
Comments 70
Oh no, pls don't put MK8 on your next, 4k-capable console, Nintendo!
(also I don't see a difference to 1080p at all)
Looks the same to me. Artstyle>graphics.
Been like three days since the last of this articles, can't wait for the Super Mario Bros in 4k article
sometimes i forget how gorgeous mk8 is. as a wii u game, it's one of the best looking games on the switch
I don't even have any 4k screens so I'm only capable of watching this in 1080p, which is exactly the resolution the game already runs at.
I can't see a difference between 720p and 1080p, so I won't see a difference between 1080p and 4k anyway.
I feel like 4K, 8K, and all this new stuff are just excuses to keep selling newer and more expensive screens. Just like with the phones that keep getting more and more cameras. Do people really need this? I mean good graphics are cool and all, but it gets to the point where each new addition becomes more meaningless than the last.
Stuff 4k. Just make it compatible with HDR... The real game changer.
Stuff 4K give me MK9 already, I dont have a 4K TV, they are too expensive
This isn't as hard to pull off as extrapolating 30 FPS footage to 60, so it looks fine.
Again though, Wii U and Switch emulation exists and is capable of rendering at higher than 4K.
I know the game is from 2014, but the upscaling really isn't necessary. It looks sharp even if it isn't pushing any technical boundaries.
Good design is always important, for gameplay and graphics.
Wow, 4K looks amazing on my 1080p screen!
If we get a Mario Kart game in 4k, it best not be MK8. Agreed with some of the above, got a 4k TV and watched all the MCU films in 4k via Disney+. They looked slightly better I guess, but it wasn't the night-and-day difference I was hoping for. The biggest jump in quality will always be VHS to DVD. That was like going from 2D to 3D gaming in the mid-nineties, in that the impact of that change was never going to be repeated. DVD to blu ray made a big difference, but not as big as VHS to DVD.
Too many of these silly 4K articles
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 4K confirmed for the Switch Pro.
Spoiler: neither are coming!
Big. Flippin'. Deal.
This article is so un-Nintendo it hurts.
@Marxally @mariomaster96 Are you watching it on a 4K screen though?
I can't wait for the Nintendo Switch successor where they can spend 7 years re-releasing WiiU games in 4k native.
Mamma mia Nintendo, MK9 released in time for Christmas 2021?Surely your patient dedicated gamers deserve this????!!
There always seems to be some people who are against 4k in some way.
"I don't see a difference" - well, I'd wager you're either not watching it on a 4K screen or a screen too small for 4K to matter. It's a significant difference, if you're set up for it.
"I don't even have a 4K screen" - okay? Many people do and this clearly isn't for you.
Believe it or not, the same thing existed when DVD and Blu-ray came out. People got DVD players and used them on their crappy, off-brand, small screen CRT TVs and then complained how it didn't look any better. Same thing happened with Blu-ray and now again with 4K.
BOTW would benefit hugely from 4K60FPS, Mario Kart would also look nice but Zelda looks amazing that way
"Here's How Mario Kart Could Look Running On A 4K Console"
Exactly the same?
60fps would be great in this (and all games on switch)
@Pirate1 MK8 is already 60fps!
@Clyde_Radcliffe chances are watching through the embedded video it won't be anywhere near 4K, so it won't be any different
@Octane that's the problem, most will watch that video on their phone and it won't be anywhere near 4K. I've just watched a couple through YouTube on my 4K TV and the difference is huge, especially as Nintendo often don't utilise anti aliasing. As soon as I get a decent graphics card I'll be playing both this way
Really getting tired of these "4k rom hack" niche-market articles.
To the majority of people playing this game (Console Users), this is time consuming to pull off for very little gain.
I'll stick to enjoying my game as intended. On the switch.
Slow news day eh?
Nintendo will probably get 4k support in like 2300 while everyone else will have 2000k by then let's be real lmfao. I know the switch is a hybrid but I use it only in docked mode and I have a 4k screen and it does suck to see how pretty my pc and Xbox series x and ps4 pro look running in 4k and then my switch is in 1080 p like its the year 2010 lol. I understand its a hybrid but for me the switch is just a home console. I have had it since 2017 on launch and I don't think its ever been out of the dock lol. But yea 1080p in 2021 is gross not gonna lie. At least give us 2k 2k is acceptable in my opinion. Nintendo should just release a 4k capable dock for the switch for like $100 that would fix everything.
It looks the same 😂
I guess "Here is what ______ looks like in 4K" articles will become a trend until the Switch Pro is actually announced.
Honestly, I can’t see a difference in any of these videos, and I have a 4K monitor. Maybe it’s just because the AI upscaling isn’t doing that much? And it’s AI upscaling instead of manually developing the game in 4K.
I can't see a difference from the game and the trailer above. I also don't own a 4K TV yet.
However, I was recently at Best Buy and couldn't stop watching a video of Demon's Souls on a PS5 playing on a huge Sony 4K TV. It looked fantastic.
I think Nintendo could easily make a standalone player and a handheld for switch 2, the standalone having better specs. I know I would buy them both.
4K 60Hz is old hat, already moved on to 4K 120hz
I still have a hopeful feeling that the VR mario kart footage from 2018-ish may be a conceptual preview of MK9. But I won't be shockd if I'm wrong.
So many Nintendo games look gorgeous when you see them running in 4K. Even many 3DS just look stunning in 4K.
@Shadowthrone Exactly this. Also pixel density and viewing distance play a large part. I can 100% tell a massive difference when sitting 5-6 ft from my 55 C9. I’m not saying lower resolutions look bad on it, far from it, but there is a huge difference. Further back it’s less pronounced, but aliasing in games is more noticeable when set to 1080p.
I also used to have a 32” 4K monitor which I changed out for a 32” 1440p for 165hz. Even at that small size I can tell the difference when reading text, although for gaming it’s tougher to see.
With today’s 77”+ displays even 8K will be more necessary in the future depending on how close you’ll be sitting.
I already play Mario Kart at 4K on my Sony Xperia Z5, Mario Kart Tour that is.
Meh on 4K. I'd prefer the extra power be diverted instead into a consistent 60fps with three or more local players.
I don’t see a difference on my phone but I also don’t own a 4K tv. So, meh 🤷♂️ I certainly don’t want another MK8 port lol. I would grown if they were like MK8D 4K for the next one 😂 Gimme a new MK please Nintendo 😅 Been playing the same game for over 6 years now...
I'd readily take an MK9 announcement for the current Switch before an announcement for a 4K Switch with upgrade for MK8. I currently have a 1080p TV anyway, so from a cost/benefit standpoint the former makes far better sense for me personally.
Again, and i know i'm getting monothematic on this site, to anybody who doesn't see the point, i get you, i hear you. Here's the thing, the point of DLSS for nintendo is clarity, not 4k in itself.
DLSS can take a 720 aliased input, and output a 1080 completely antialiased non-blurry image. This is the actual benefit for switch and it's important to understand it so we won't get a massive wave of rants of "told you so 4k isn't a thing" whenever this becomes reality
4K looks no different to me. If what you're going for is outstanding graphics, then by all means swing for the fences, but don't lie and tell me it makes the game any better, you know it doesn't. Shadows and beautiful lighting only serves to make the environment pretty to look at, but if the gameplay sucks then the game is a failure, plain and simple. And how much money do I need to spend to find that out? Yeah... I'll pass.
@Medic_Alert The thing about this videos is they don't really explain too well how DLSS helps performance, which would be the point for nintendo. The main point of DLSS on PC is that you can play at the same resolution, say 1080, with 50% more performance in fps.
@rjc-32 your eyes can't even see above about 80hz
I'll make another comment just to be annoying: THE POINT OF DLSS IS NOT 4K, BUT PERFORMANCE AND VISUAL CLARITY.
I imagine it looks amazing but the issue with these videos is is that it is impossible to tell as the recording equipment clearly isnt up to scratch.
Everyone is complaining they don't see a difference while watching it on 1080p screens. Come on.
You would probably see a difference if you had two TV's next to each other, one 1080p and the other one 2160p. And also, you would notice a difference very clearly if you zoomed in on both of them.
Nintendo should put their games on PC.
Oh good. Now Nintendo can just scrap plans for Mario Kart 9 and all other future games and just give us 4K remasters of old games. Apparently, it's what the fans want.
Whatever Nintendo does with their next console, if the Switch library isn't playable on that, then I am not buying it. Can't really justify buying the same games twice.
Please stop with these 4K articles unless they feature updated textures. There's no point to upscale to 4K on the same textures.
@doctorhino I can certainly tell the difference between 80hz and 165hz on my display.
may look sharper around the edges but there's no extra detail in the art or textures etc. waiting for a true MK sequel which should look glorious!
Why am I watching this on my 1280 x 1024 monitor...
Yet another example of a game that doesn't need improved resolution. If anything, I would want to see both Xenoblade games get a boost in resolution, because if I'm being honest, they didn't look the very best in handheld mode, despite the beautiful art style.
MK8? Surely the next MK should be a new entry
I laughed so much as all the various comments saying "cant tell the difference, watching on 1080p display"
Always great to see so many community members getting salty over something they've never experienced, 1440p and 4k are like night and day compared to 1080p, and especially 720p
It’s a bit pixelated on my 8K TV...
@rjc-32 I guess I'd have to sit down in front of a monitor to know but it seems like your eyes would max out before 165hz. What does between 80 vs 165 look like? Just smoother
@doctorhino My eyes can easily see past 80hz. Hell they can see at least 240hz. Haven't tried anything higher yet.
@Goat_FromBOTW Your comment wasn't directed at me, but I will tell you why I for example don't want to have a TV. The short version is: I'm not watching TV.
...Yeah, I can assume what you're thinking now, but hear me out. The long version is: Many European countries have a monthly tax on TVs. For more details you can read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licence
In my country and state it currently would be 33,66€ per month, just because I would own a TV. I couldn't use it to watch TV, because I would still need to subscribe to a service provider and pay them too... But the point is, I would need to pay 33,66€ per month just for physically owning a TV, because "I COULD" watch TV. They do sometimes send people to check if I really don't own a TV. They're also cooperating with other companies that sometimes require access to my apartment. For example the company that provides electricity and gas. Or the company that provides warm water and district heating. I can't refuse to let them in, because of how stupid district heating works. I have never used a heater in my life because I actually feel quite comfortable when it has down to -10′C in winter, but oh well... I also need to let the electricity/gas company inside because both of their meters are inside my apartment and they also check my stove from time to time for safety reasons, because it runs on gas.
Which means, if I would own a TV the broadcasting tax company would learn that rather quickly. But here's the thing... Different to eg Germany, my country isn't collecting this tax as long you don't own a TV. So, not owning a TV saves me 33,66€ per month. Simply as that. Which means I would go for PC screens instead of TVs. And... Good luck finding a decent 4K/HDR PC screen for a reasonable price...
The backlash against 4k is crazy to me. Why wouldn't you want it? I truly don't understand. I feel its just that a large portion of switch owners, particularly the sort that don't play anything else, have built up a defensive reflex against it. 4k Mario kart? Yes please! Maybe not 8 though. 3rd time a fool.
@Kevember Couldn’t disagree more. I just got a 77 inch LG CX for PS5 & series X and playing games in true 4k blows 1080p out of water. When I go back to games on my switch it looks terrible so now I only play switch handheld. Again when you see 4k @ 60 on PS5 there’s a huge difference imo. I think it’s one of those things where until you have it you don’t realize the value.
@doctorhino Try to scroll a website on an 80hz screen and read the text whilst it’s scrolling. Then do the same on a 165hz display, you’ll easily tell the difference as you’ll read it far easier. It’s smoother, motion is clearer, lag is massively reduced. Your eyes would adapt to the refresh if you used it regularly. The larger the screen the greater the benefit where high refresh is concerned.
Not sure if anyone said it here but - THE POINT OF DLSS IS NOT 4K, BUT PERFORMANCE AND VISUAL CLARITY
@rjc-32 cool I couldn't justify the price for 4k 120hz for now but maybe when they drop. I looked it up, apparently your brain interpets higher hz and the eyes thing is based on strobe turning to solid lights, so not exactly a test of motion.
Imagine the best Mario Karts (Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart DS) with this quality. It would be a dream come true! 🤤🤤
@NightCat28 And here was I thinking the best Mario Kart would have been DoubleDash or 64. And now we've at least four games in the "it's the best of the series!" spot. What are we going to do now?
@Altina well I respect your opinion. I personally think it would be MKDS and MKW. Tbh every Mario Kart would look good in 4k and we can all agree on that
Tap here to load 70 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...