After waiting in line at midnight without a pre-order and successfully picking up a Nintendo Switch 2, I’ve been testing out my new console and finally putting it through its paces.
Back in April, I had a chance to try out the Switch 2 early at a Nintendo event in New York. While it was great going hands-on with the console right after its reveal and getting to play some games that aren’t even out yet, like Donkey Kong Bananza and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, there were so many things I couldn’t test out at that time.
Now with my Switch 2 unboxed and set up in my living room, I’m slowly working my way through the long list of different devices I want to test to see if they’re compatible with the new console. From a few of the best webcams for Game Chat to the best Nintendo Switch controllers, I have plenty of gadgets and original Switch accessories I want to try out.
With Mario Kart World being a Switch 2 launch game, there was one accessory in particular I couldn’t wait to use in Nintendo’s new open world kart racer. Keep in mind that this was an accessory I had gone back and forth on for years, debating whether it was truly worth the investment. Well, after playing Mario Kart World with it, I’m certainly glad I got it when I did.
From whim to win
Back in 2019 when you could finally find the original Nintendo Switch on store shelves, Hori released two racing wheels for the console: the full-size Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe and the smaller Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Mini. Unlike other Switch accessories that ended up being discontinued over the years, these ones remain in production and on store shelves. In fact, you could probably find one or even both of them at any big local retailer right now.
I don’t know about you but when I’m dragged to Target on a family shopping trip, I often find myself killing time in the video game section. While the Switch games and Amiibos have certainly changed over the years, I can always find either Hori’s Pro Deluxe or Pro Mini racing wheel on the shelf. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve come this close to buying them over the years.
Ahead of the launch of the Switch 2, both of Hori’s Mario Kart racing wheels were heavily discounted on Amazon and I figured it was time to test them out for myself. Not exactly by myself though, as I picked them both up to play together with my son. He’s still too young for video games but he knows his way around a controller and sure loves pressing buttons.
Given that people were still playing Mario Kart 8 over a decade after its release in the runup to the Switch 2, I figure he’ll probably be able to start on the Pro Mini and then grow into the Pro Deluxe well before we’re talking about the follow-up to Mario Kart World.
My son is getting a bit short changed with the simpler buttons on Hori’s Pro Mini racing wheel but the Pro Deluxe one lives up to its name with a full suite of buttons and even some useful extra ones. Built into the wheel itself, you have ZL and ZR buttons and around back, you have paddle shifters for the L and R buttons.
Then on the face of the racing wheel, you have almost every button you’d find on a standard Switch controller. There’s also an Assign button on the top right which can be used to remap the ZL and ZR buttons, the left and right stick buttons (the ones you press when you click in a thumbstick), the left and right paddles and even the racing wheel’s pedals on the floor.
All of this gives you plenty of options when it comes to customizing Hori’s Pro Deluxe racing wheel to your heart’s content. Even without assigning buttons though, Mario Kart World makes things easy for you since the ZL button and L paddle both can be used for items while you can drift using either the ZR button or the R paddle.
I tried out the Hori Pro Deluxe and Pro Mini racing wheels while playing Mario Kart 8 a few weeks ago when I first got the controllers. Everything worked well out of the box then but after setting up my Switch 2, it was time to see if Nintendo had made Switch controllers backwards compatible with its new console.
Surprisingly Switch 2 ready
Both of Hori’s Switch racing wheels come with suction cups to attach them to a coffee table but personally, I like using the included clamp that only comes with the Pro Deluxe version for a stronger mount. After getting the racing wheel mounted, I plugged it into my Switch 2 dock and ran the cable for its pedals behind my desk and down to the floor.
We really hadn’t heard much about Switch 2 compatibility with third-party Switch controllers ahead of launch which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I turned on the console and the Hori racing wheel instantly worked without any issues. If, like me, you’re testing out original Switch controllers on the new console, one thing worth noting is that Switch 1 controllers aren’t able to wake the Switch 2 from sleep. All of their buttons and everything else should work as intended though.
The same was true with the racing wheels’ floor pedals which connect at the back using a connector similar to the ones you’d find on a wired telephone. I like how there are some small circles on both pedals to provide some much needed grip. However, the same can’t be said for its base which slid around quite a bit on my wood floors. Back when I tested it out in the game room where we have a carpet underneath the coffee table, this wasn’t a problem though.
I started out testing the Hori Pro Deluxe racing wheel in the Mushroom Cup Grand Prix in Mario Kart World. Compared to a traditional controller, there was certainly a learning curve, particularly when it came to turning the wheel and engaging the right paddle shifter for drifting around curves. I also appreciated the fact that I wasn’t stuck with doing things this way due to Mario Kart World’s controls and the fact that Hori gives you multiple ways to use the same button on the racing wheel. For instance, when I needed to quickly use an item, I used the left paddle shifter but when the timing of using an item was more important, I found myself pressing the Item button on the left side of the wheel’s hub.
One other big difference between the Hori Pro Deluxe and the Hori Mini racing wheels is that while mine has a Mario logo front and center, my son’s racing wheel has a ZL button in the middle. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, using this button is a bit more fun as it does double duty as a horn when you don’t have items. With Mario Kart World though, your character still honks their cart’s horn but they also perform a short wave when you press it.
After realizing I still had a ways to go when it came to using a racing wheel in an actual race, I switched over to playing Mario Kart World’s Free Roam mode. This was a lot of fun with the racing wheel, especially when just cruising around. I really liked having all of the standard controller buttons right there on the hub. The D-pad on the left side certainly came in handy when looking at Mario Kart World’s overworld map and choosing which course I wanted to fast travel to next.
Perfect for mixing things up
Now is it worth it to pick up the Hori Pro Deluxe racing wheel if you want to get better at Mario Kart World? Well, after trying it out for myself, I’d say probably not. Playing with a controller is always going to be the best way to play Mario Kart and this is certainly true if you're racing online or playing against your friends and family in split screen mode on your TV.
Still, I had a blast playing both Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and especially Mario Kart World with this accessory. It almost feels like it was made for the latter’s Free Roam mode, even though its initial release came a few years after the former had launched. Another great thing about Hori’s Pro Deluxe and Pro Mini racing wheels is that they both work on PC too and after I finish this story, I’m going to give the larger one a try on my new triple monitor setup.
Serious racing sim fans will likely scoff at the idea of using a more basic racing wheel like this one. However, I feel like at the price, it’s a good way to see if using a wheel while playing racing games is something you’re really interested in. Dedicated sim racing setups can get expensive real fast and you definitely don’t want to invest all that money and put one together before knowing whether or not you’ll actually use it.
Given that the Hori Pro Deluxe and Pro Mini racing wheels came out back in 2019, I wouldn’t be surprised if a wireless version, specifically for the Switch 2, was already in the works. This would make a lot of sense as the company already put out its wireless Racing Wheel Apex for the PlayStation 5 and PC. Only time will tell though.
Even though I plan on primarily using a controller as I work my way through all of the courses in Mario Kart World, I can’t wait to break out my Hori Pro Deluxe racing wheel and especially my son’s Pro Mini one every now and again to mix things up. Given we’ll probably be playing Mario Kart World all the way up till the release of the Switch 3, it’s always good to have options.
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