Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Shows Why Nintendo Labo Is A Must-Have

Nintendo Labo's Toy-Cons are already capable of some interesting things, but up until now, compatibility has been limited to the software that ships with Labo. That all changes today, as Nintendo has announced Toy-Con support for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. As part of a new update, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe players can now use the Motorbike Toy-Con to control their in-game racers.

Though the trailer below shows players only controlling motorcycles with the Toy-Con, Nintendo's announcement says that you can actually use the Motorbike to control every vehicle type across every game mode. Labo functionality is available today as a free update to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, so be sure to download that update and check it out for yourself.

In Nintendo's announcement today, the company says that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is merely the first Switch game to receive Labo support. Other games will gain support for Labo's various Toy-Cons in the future, but Nintendo declined to say which titles it's planning compatibility for.

The company also announced its second Labo Creators Contest today. There are two categories for this content: Best Toy-Con Musical Instrument and Best Gaming Experience Using Toy-Con Garage. The grand prize winner in each category will receive, among other things, a limited-edition Switch designed to look like it's made of cardboard. Both categories open on July 19, so check out the official Labo site for full rules and get to brainstorming if you want to enter.

To get up and running with the Motorbike Toy-Con in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, simply apply today's new update and select the Nintendo Labo icon from the game's main menu. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can support up to four Motorbike controllers at once, though other players can also use the Switch's more conventional control methods to race. We'll let you know when other games gain Nintendo Labo capabilities, so stay tuned.