Nintendo’s recent update to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has improved Switch emulation performance—but not on purpose. The update changed the game from 32-bit to 64-bit, which helps popular emulators run it much better.
This change is linked to the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, launching on June 5. The new console uses an ARM Cortex-A78C CPU, which has limited support for 32-bit games.
Nintendo’s software development tools no longer support 32-bit code, so they are updating games to 64-bit to work smoothly on the new hardware.
As a result, emulators like Yuzu, Citron, Sudachi, and Eden can now use native code execution for these updated games, making them run faster and more smoothly on PCs and other devices.
Before this update, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was still 32-bit, which made it harder to emulate despite being a Switch title.
Other popular 32-bit Switch games include Pikmin 3 Deluxe, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Monster Hunter Generations Unite, and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD.
If Nintendo updates these too, emulation performance should improve for them as well.
The Switch 2 will be available for pre-order now and launches on June 5, 2025.
