Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s smart steering is an accessibility boon

There was a lot of whinging and whining when Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was released last week, not because of price or the fact Wii U owners had to buy it again (no wait there was that too). But the thing that brought the most ire was that the Auto Steer feature was turned on by default.

Some gaming snobs turned their nose up not just at Auto Steering but Auto Accelerate as well. The mere existence of these features for less technical gamers was an affront to them.

On the weekend a story popped up on Reddit about a four-year-old girl, Molly, who had a stroke just after being born. She’s now four and finally able to play Mario Kart with her family thanks to these features. Molly has limited mobility in her right hand, both features can help her and many others like her out.

Nintendo might not have put these features in for those with a disability, but their inclusion has meant that someone who might not have been able to play Mario Kart before now can.

So why it might have been annoying to turn off Auto Steering which was on by default, just remember it might be even more annoying or difficult to turn it on as well.