Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe review: great for kids, one to miss for everyone else

Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe: One-minute review

The best thing I can say about the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe is that it’ll make a good gift for younger gamers, especially if they’re into racing games on the Nintendo Switch. As a budget-friendly wheel, it performs admirably, even if it does lack features compared to many of the best racing wheels out there. Still, as a kid-friendly racing wheel, it more than gets the job done.

But is it worth considering for those looking for a new racing wheel in general? Well, its relatively low price tag makes it a decent option for first-time buyers. And with it being compatible with PC as well as Nintendo Switch, you certainly won’t be lacking in options for games.

If you’re okay with the bold Mario aesthetic (which I actually think is quite nice), you will have to contend with a relative lack of features. Build quality really takes a hit here for both the wheelbase and pedals - both certainly lacking compared to pricier wheels. There’s no force feedback to speak of, either, which may disappoint those looking for a more immersive racing experience. It does perform decently with the best racing games, but a limited 270-degree turning angle makes it somewhat ill-suited for serious racing sims.

To top it all off, even younger players may get frustrated with the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe, as it’s simply unsuitable for play with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The wheel just doesn’t offer the pin-sharp responsiveness needed for such a fast-paced kart racer, and I found myself pining for one of the best Nintendo Switch controllers in its place.

Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe: Price and availability

• $109.99 / £89.99
• Definitely one of the more affordable racing wheel options on the market
• A budget-friendly rate comparable to the Hori Apex racing wheel

The Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe’s $109.99 / £89.99 retail price is actually pretty fair for what you’re getting. It’s comparable to Hori’s own Apex wheel ($119.99 / £99.99). But as Nintendo Switch-compatible wheels go, you’re unlikely to find one as cheap as this without seriously losing worthwhile features.

Compared to pricier options like the Logitech G923 and Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition, you are going to be getting a stripped-back experience here. Hori’s Mario Kart wheel is not compatible with PlayStation or Xbox systems, nor does it have desirable features like force feedback or high rotation.

Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe: Specs

Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe: Design and features

• Nice Mario-themed look
• Overall cheap-feeling build
• Optional suction cups aren’t very effective

The Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe’s highlight design aspect is its overall look. Having been officially licensed by Nintendo, it bears the iconic Mario ‘M’ in the center of the wheel. The steering wheel and base both have a really tasteful red-on-black paint job that looks surprisingly smart and professional for a product primarily aimed at younger audiences.

The wheel is quite robust in terms of buttons, too. You’re getting almost a full suite here, with a d-pad, face buttons, ZL and ZR buttons as well as a pair of paddles primarily used for gear shifting.

The center of the wheel also houses the Start, Select, and Home buttons as well as a Capture button for screenshots, which is a very welcome and quite uncommon feature for racing wheels in general. A handy ‘Assign’ button also lets you map custom inputs on the fly.

It’s a shame that overall build quality is quite lacking, then, but this is to be expected given the relatively low price tag. While the wheel itself is adequate, the wheelbase is quite light and hollow-feeling, which ultimately makes weighing it down on a flat surface oddly difficult.

The included pedals are broadly similar to the ones included with the Hori Apex; they’re very simple and similarly cheap-feeling. If not for the flip-out footrest, the pedal base would be prone to shifting under your weight.

You’ve got two options for clamping the wheel to a flat surface. A more traditional clamp and screw are included, and these work fine if you’re going to make the wheel part of a more long-term setup.

The five included suction cups, on the other hand, simply don’t get the job done. These lock into place via slots at the bottom of the base and a twist of each is meant to secure them on a flat surface without the use of a clamp. However, they were still extremely slippery and offered little purchase for the surfaces I tested on.

You’re better off opting for the clamp option, then, as I found the suction cups to be practically useless and often dislodged themselves from their slots, despite my best efforts to lock them into place.

Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe: Performance

• Ironically not well-suited for Mario Kart
• Performs adequately on PC via XInput
• On-board buttons are perfectly responsive

If you’re just looking for a good, cheap wheel that gets the job done on PC, then the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe definitely delivers on that front. The racing experience is by no means incredible - with a complete lack of force feedback and a relatively limited 270-degree turning radius - but it’s still perfectly serviceable.

I tested the wheel out on racing games that are lighter on sim elements like Tokyo Xtreme Racer and Forza Horizon 5, and I found it to be a great fit for them. It does start to show its limitations with more simulation-heavy fare like Assetto Corsa EVO, however, where I found I had to play with a variety of assists turned on to aid with the wheels stripped back performance.

While competent on PC, then, I can’t really say the same for the wheel’s namesake. It’s just not very well suited to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch. Fortunately, the wheel is compatible with the game out of the box, with no control fiddling necessary. However, the simple act of turning and drifting just didn’t feel right in the fast-paced kart racer. Stacked up against a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, Hori’s wheel just doesn’t have the quick responsiveness necessary to drive well in 150cc mode.

It is compatible with a wide variety of Switch racing games, though. So, if you own titles like Gear Club Unlimited or Grid Autosport, you might get more mileage out of it as a console wheel with these racers instead.

Should I buy the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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How I tested the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe

• Tested for one week
• Tested across Nintendo Switch and PC
• Played a variety of racing games

I tested the Hori Mario Kart Racing Wheel Pro Deluxe over the course of about a week, getting to grips with the wheel and its included pedals across a wide variety of racing games. I covered racers of all kinds, from arcade-like titles including Tokyo Xtreme Racer and Forza Horizon 5 to more simulation-heavy games like Assetto Corsa EVO and Forza Motorsport. I found it to be a better fit for less realistic racers overall.

I can’t say the same, specifically, for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and it’s a shame the wheel wasn’t a good fit for its targeted game. It’s no fault of the wheel, really, as the popular kart racer is just not designed with racing wheels in mind. But it’s definitely something to keep in mind if you’re buying for a younger gamer.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed January 2025