In Mario Kart World, smart steering assists you in staying on the track with gentle adjustments whenever you veer too close to the edge. This feature is mainly designed for players who may find steering and drifting challenging. If you prefer a more relaxed gaming experience, it helps ensure your race runs quite smoothly.
This smart steering option is enabled by default when you first start the game, so you’ll likely want to disable it for the best racing experience. Below, I’ll explain how smart steering works and how to turn it on or off.
What is Mario Kart World Smart Steering?
Smart steering in Mario Kart World is an accessibility feature that provides automatic steering assistance. It kicks in when you’re close to the edge of a track, helping to keep you from going off the course. You can use this feature in all game modes, including online multiplayer, but it’s disabled in single-player Time Trials.
When you’re racing with smart steering enabled, you’ll notice your kart has an antenna that flashes yellow when the feature is actively making corrections to your course.
While the adjustments made by smart steering aren’t flawless — think of it as driving with some safety bumpers rather than complete automation — it does limit your ability to cut corners or take shortcuts. You can still perform drifts and charge jumps even with smart steering on.
How to Disable Smart Steering in Mario Kart World
To turn off smart steering in Mario Kart World, simply press the X button on your Joy-Con at the kart selection screen. This opens the “Settings/Controller” options menu. Smart Steering will be listed at the top, allowing you to easily toggle it off before you exit the menu.
Once you’ve done this, smart steering will remain off for all activities until you decide to turn it back on using the same menu.
Without smart steering, you’ll find it much easier to perform advanced tricks like grinding rails and wall riding in Mario Kart World.
