Mario Kart World’s development moved from the original Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2 in 2020.
Nintendo had begun prototyping the game for the original Switch in March 2017, before Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released. The project aimed to expand the series with open-world elements rather than simply repeat the established formula.
The team encountered technical difficulties while trying to optimize an open-world racing game with as many as 24 players on the original hardware. In 2020, development shifted to the successor system, whose improving specifications gave the developers more room for the larger concept.
This date is different from the game's initial development date. March 2017 marks the start of prototyping, while 2020 marks the hardware transition. Mario Kart World was ultimately released as a Nintendo Switch 2 launch game in 2025.