Alex Ruben
How To Play Mario Kart World 2 Players on Nintendo Switch
If you’ve ever tried to jump into a Mario Kart race with a friend on your Switch 2, you know it’s not always straightforward — especially if controllers act up or if you’re used to the chaos of disconnecting and pairing. This guide isn’t perfect, but it should help you get local multiplayer running smoothly. Basically, you want to be able to detach those Joy-Cons, pair them as separate controllers, and be racing in no time. Because of course, Nintendo has to make it a little more complicated than it should be.
How to Set Up Two-Player Mode in Mario Kart on Nintendo Switch 2
Making sure your controllers are ready and properly paired
This is the biggest headache sometimes. When you detach Joy-Cons, they don’t automatically connect as individual controllers — you have to tell the Switch to recognize each one specifically. The reason this helps is because it ensures both players can control independently without messing with controller settings. On some setups, pairing can fail the first time, then suddenly work after a quick reboot or re-pairing. Expect to see lights on the controllers indicating they’re connected — if not, revisit the pairing steps below.
How to pair Joy-Cons as separate controllers
- Make sure the controllers are charged — dead batteries or low power can cause weird disconnects later.
- Detach your Joy-Cons from the sides of your Switch by pressing the small release button on the back of each controller (on the top near the shoulder buttons). Be gentle but firm — these things are small and tricky sometimes.
- To pair each Joy-Con as a standalone controller, hold each one with the buttons facing up. Then, press the sync button on the side (the small round button near the SR and SL buttons) — or, hold down all four shoulder buttons (L, R, ZL, ZR) for about 3 seconds until it pairs. You’ll see a light bar flash, and the LED will stay on when connected.
- Head over to System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Compare connected controllers if you want to double-check.
- On the Switch home menu, you should see two separate controller icons, one for each Joy-Con. If not, try re-pairing or rebooting the console.
Ensuring everything is working before starting the race
Once both controllers show up as connected, and the lights are stable, you’re pretty much ready. It’s helpful to test the controls briefly by navigating through your Switch menu or checking in System Settings. This minimizes the “controller isn’t responding” moments during the race. If pairing still acts flaky, restarting your Switch sometimes fixes it — not sure why it works, but it does on some machines more than others.
Launching the multiplayer game
- Start Mario Kart from your Home Screen.
- On the main menu, select Multiplayer.
- Choose Local Play. For some reasons, it sometimes auto-detects controllers, but if not, check Change Controllers — found under the on-screen options or by pressing + on the controller and selecting it manually.
- Select Two Players when prompted.
- Pick your characters and settings. Use each Joy-Con as a separate controller. If someone’s controller isn’t detected, see previous pairing steps.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
Sometimes, the controllers get fuzzy about connections, especially if they’re not charged enough or if the system’s been up for a while. Try reconnecting or rebooting if something is wonky. Also, updating your Switch system software and the game itself ensures compatibility and fixes bugs. And yes, make sure you’re using the latest firmware — Nintendo does tend to push updates that help with controller issues.
Wrap-up
Getting two players on Mario Kart on the Switch 2 isn’t rocket science, but it’s kinda frustrating if controllers refuse to sync or connect properly. Following these steps to detach, pair, and confirm controllers should let multiplayer happen without much fuss. Not sure why it’s still not perfect, but it’s consistent enough once set up. Good luck racing!
Summary
- Charge controllers before pairing
- Detach Joy-Cons carefully and use the sync button or shoulder buttons to pair
- Check connection lights and controller icons in settings
- Launch the game, select multiplayer, and confirm controllers are recognized
Final note
Hopefully, this shaves some time off troubleshooting, because setting up multiplayer on Nintendo Switch 2 can be a chore otherwise. Just remember to keep those controllers charged, maybe reboot if things go sideways, and don’t be afraid to try re-pairing if needed. Works for me — hope it works for you, too.