Mario Kart World controls

You need to know how the Mario Kart World controls work if you want any hope of winning those cups and Knockout Tours. Luckily for you, we're not only here to teach you the basics, but also what each Mario Kart World setting does, along with how you can do a Mario Kart World grind.

Once you learn the controls, you need to see what the best Mario Kart World karts are to help keep you from flying off the Mario Kart World tracks.

Mario Kart World controls

Here are the MKW controls for both the Switch 2 Joy-Cons and the Switch 2 Pro Controller:

Button	Action
+	Pause / settings
-	Photo mode
A	Accelerate
B	Brake / reverse
X	Rear view
Y	World map
L / ZL	Use item
R / ZR	Drift / hold for charged jump
Lefy joystick	Steer
Right joystick	Camera
Down / left on the D-Pad	Rewind

Here are the MKW controls when you're using one Joy-Con:

Button	Action
+ / -	Pause / settings
Right	Accelerate
Left	Brake / reverse
Up	Rear view
Down	World map
SL	Use item
SR	Drift / hold for charged jump
Joystick	Steer

Mario Kart World settings

There are numerous settings that can have an impact on your gameplay in Mario Kart World.

Here are all the MKW settings:

Setting	Description
Smart Steering	Smart steering keeps you on the track, helping to prevent you from going off the edge
Auto-Use Item	Your character uses your item automatically
Tilt Controls	You can tilt your controller to control your kart
Auto-Accelerate	Your kart accelerates automatically, eliminating the need for you to hold down the accelerate button
Dash Food	You can decide whether or not Dash Food transforms your character or just gives you a boost

How to grind in Mario Kart World

To grind in Mario Kart World, you just need to hold down the jump button (R / ZR) without steering, otherwise you'll drift, and then release it when next to a rail you want to grind on. If you do it correctly, you'll land on the rail. Grinding is new to Mario Kart World, and it just might be what helps you squeak out a narrow victory.