Mario Kart World needs little to no improvements. The latest entry in the legendary racing franchise introduced players to the open-world format. Taking advantage of that new format, the game also has a unique new mode called the Knockout Tour. Today, Mario Kart World is getting a surprising-but-welcome update which adds a team option to the survival mode.

In stark contrast to Mario Kart’s usual gameplay, Knockout Tour introduces a battle royale element to the game. The mode strings together a series of races seamlessly leading from on to the next via the open-world format. Players are eliminated for placing at or near the bottom after every leg, eventually leading to a three-way race to finish first.

Prior to today’s announcement, players race for themselves. But now, via a free update, players can now compete in two teams of twelve, three teams of eight, or four teams of six. They must still survive individually, but points are now collated based on teams.

The number of points derives from finishing position. Finishing in P1, for example, will bag the player a total of 50 points for that leg. Meanwhile, eliminated players get only a single point. At the end of the entire tour, everyone’s points are tallied up, and the win is awarded to the team with the most points.

The new mode can be raced locally or online. If the pool lacks players to round out the teams, the game will provide AI opponents.

The update is rolling out now and is for free.

SEE ALSO: I played Mario Kart World and it was a full-throttle race to the finish

Following Mario Kart World’s switch to an open-world format, the gauntlet has been thrown for casual racing sims to keep up with Nintendo’s racing series. The Forza Horizon series, which hovers closer to arcade-like gameplay over technical racing titles, is next in line to build this year’s racing game via the upcoming Forza Horizon 6.

The new racing title was announced back in September during the Tokyo Game Show. Apropos to where it was announced, Forza Horizon 6 will finally take its fans to Japan. At the time, the announcement teaser shared nothing about gameplay, but there might not be a lot of surprises anyway.

Today, we finally found out whether Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios have something up their sleeves for this iteration. In a new showcase, the studio confirmed that the title will have its largest map to date with different biomes and seasonality. Normally, a larger map sounds groan-inducing, especially with so many bloated open worlds these days, but a car-based open-world game sounds like heaven.

For gameplay, players will start off as a visitor to the iconic Horizon Festival, which will take over Japan. By racing others with starter cars, they can earn access to faster cars, other parts of the map, and trickier races.

Right from the start, players will have access to 550 cars. They can install liveries on the windows now. As always, there are garages now, but there’s also a massive buildable area called The Estate. For the first time, players can put up buildings for their customizable area.

There’s so much to be excited for this time around. Forza Horizon 6 will launch for Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 19. The PlayStation 5 version will also launch later this year.

SEE ALSO: Forza Horizon 6 will be set in Japan

Vinyl records have been going through fits and starts throughout the years. While some years have a tepid collection of releases in the space, some feature new releases we’re very excited about. This year might be one of the latter, because Sony has just launched two new turntables that can bring the classic auditory experience for a competitive price.

First up is the PS-LX3BT. It’s a beginner-friendly turntable that values ease of use, while still prioritizing sleek designs. Right away, users can start listening with the attached audio cable and the built-in phono equalizer.

On the other hand, the PS-LX5BT is built for robustness. It has a rigid one-piece body and an aluminum tone arm. Together with the rubber mat and the circuit design, the entire turntable reduces vibrations and preserves audio quality. The high-grade cartridge delivers a wider soundstage. Finally, the gold-plated audio jack puts the premium on wired connections.

Despite the differences, both models will feature Bluetooth connectivity with aptX, aptX Adaptive, and Hi-Res Wireless Audio. They also have USB output with three-level gain control so you can digitize your library. Finally, they will support 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records.

The Sony PS-LX3BT is already available for presales. It will retail for US$ 399.99.

Meanwhile, the Sony PS-LX5BT will start its pre-sales later this spring. It will retail for US$ 499.99.