Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: How to Turn Off Smart Steering

Turn Off Smart Steering in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Smart Steering is a special mechanic that aims to give newcomers a bit of a helping hand in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. When enabled, the function will ensure that your driver never steers too far off course, and you’ll always be able to stay on the right side of the road. However, for more experienced players, this might be seen as a hindrance rather than a help.

Unfortunately, Smart Steering is turned on by default, and there’s no way to disable it from the main menu. This means that you have to start a race, and bring up the options menu to turn it off. At the start of the race, once you gain control of your character, press the + button on your Switch to bring up the menu. on the top, you’ll see the Smart Steering option. Simply press the L button to disable it, and then resume the race. You’ll now have free reign and control over your character’s movement, and you can drive off the course if you wish. We don’t recommend doing that if you actually want to win the races, though.

UPDATE: You can also turn off Smart Steering when choosing your kart before a race. While choosing parts for your kart, hit the + button on the controller to view a kart’s stats. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see that you can tap the L button to turn off Smart Steering.

Be sure to check back with Twinfinite for more information on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.