This article was originally written for TheNintendoVillage.com, a website I founded and ran from 2018 to 2021.

Mario Kart Tour may have been missing real-time multiplayer at launch - with your opponents actually being AI operated avatars as opposed to the real people their usernames would suggest - but the proper thing is now available, for some players.

As previously reported, the beta for real-time multiplayer matchups in the game will only be available to Gold Pass subscribers, but it is now live for those fans to check out. If you want to give it a whirl and haven’t yet activated the free trial period, you can do so and you’ll still be eligible.

Here’s a few notes from the official Mario Kart Tour webpage:

“This is a beta test to make sure real-time multiplayer works as intended before it’s made available to all players.
Please be aware that the following issues may occur depending on the specifications of your device, as well as the condition of your network connection and the connections of the players you’re matched with:
- The game’s connection becomes unstable or fails
- The game freezes or crashes
- Network or input lag makes steering unresponsive
Thank you for understanding that such issues may occur during this beta test.
Certain multiplayer specifications will change between its beta test and full release. Therefore, multiplayer save data during this beta test cannot be carried over to the full multiplayer release.
In rare cases, playing this beta test may cause your device’s battery to drain faster than normal or your device to heat up more than normal. In such a case, please stop playing immediately.
This game requires a persistent internet connection. Participants in this beta test are responsible for data charges incurred during play.

Have you got the Gold Pass? Are you checking this beta test out? Let us know your thoughts below!

Source: MarioKartTour.com