Animal Crossing: New Horizons is finally getting a Switch 2 upgrade. But that's not the best part of this update

Today, nearly five months after the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has announced a Switch 2 update. This will finally allow the beloved Animal Crossing title to take advantage of the Switch 2 hardware, but if you don’t have a Switch 2 yet, you don’t have to feel left out. Along with the Switch 2 version, there is also a free update for the base Nintendo Switch game, and it’s the best part of the update. This is the first significant update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons since November 2021. Both the Switch 2 upgrade and the free update for the base game will launch on January 15th, 2026.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons finally gets a Switch 2 edition

Nintendo uploaded a 12-minute video exploring the update. The first section of the video covers the updates coming to the Switch 2 version of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Players will be able to make use of the Switch 2’s mouse controls to adjust decorations, create custom artwork, and write on the bulletin board. A new item called the Megaphone will use the Switch 2’s built-in microphone. Using this item and calling out to one of your residents will let you know where they are, so you can quickly find them.

The Switch 2 version will also allow up to 12 players to join the same island at once, and all of those 12 players can be in the same Game Chat call. However, a big stipulation of this is that this will only work if all players have the Switch 2 edition. Do you have 12 friends who play AC: New Horizons, and have the Switch 2? It may not be the easiest feature to use. Finally, the Switch 2 edition will feature a graphical upgrade, as shown in a side-by-side image below.

A visual comparison between Switch 2 and Switch 1 editions.Source: Nintendo of America

It’s not all about the Switch 2, though; the base version of Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Switch 1 is getting the bulk of this update. Players will be able to explore a new resort hotel run by Kapp’n and his family. Based on the trailer, the player is tasked with decorating the rooms according to various themes to impress the guests. This will also include new items and outfits. But that’s not all.

Kapp'n's Family's HotelSource: Nintendo of America

With this update, when the player goes to sleep, they can choose to enter a dream world. This will essentially allow players to customize three other islands to their heart’s content. You can even invite other players and NPC residents to join you on your dream island. The other best part, though, is that both this and the Kapp’n Hotel update are free. Users who own the game already can upgrade to the Switch 2 version for $4.99, which is thankfully half the price of most other Switch 2 upgrades.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

March 20, 2020

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• Nintendo
• patches and updates
• Animal Crossing (franchise)
• Nintendo Switch
• Nintendo Switch 2