PSA: Mario Kart World defaults to Smart Steering, but it’s easily turned off

If you’ve managed to nab yourself a Switch 2 and are busy with Mario Kart World, know that Smart Steering controls are on by default.

These controls steer players back on to the track should they veer off course. It’s an accessibility feature to help newer players when racing, but makes it more difficult to explore for shortcuts by going off road.

Luckily it’s a simple enough fix: during a race or Free Roam, pause the game and hit X to change controller settings. Alternatively, you can hit X during the vehicle selection screen.

Other control options include Auto-Accelerate, Auto-Use Item and Tilt Controls, though curiously only Smart Steering is turned on by default.

All of these options were also in the previous Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, so if you’ve played that game you’ll be familiar with how they work.

Back at the Switch 2’s reveal, Eurogamer’s former editor Tom Phillips stated Mario Kart World “reinvents the series”, and was enamoured with its Knockout Tour mode. Earlier this week, though, Eurogamer deputy editor Chris Tapsell was left underwhelmed by the game’s open world.

Are you playing Mario Kart World already? What are your thoughts?