Time to start cleaning up your island, Animal Crossing fans. Nintendo has announced that Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be getting the Nintendo Switch 2 edition and a free upgrade.
Nintendo shared the announcement trailer for the Switch 2 edition and Version 3.0 upgrade for the pandemic hit cozy life sim on Thursday, showing off fresh new upgrades and new features you wish were added to the last patch back in 2021. Check out the trailer below!
The most obvious upgrades in Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition are enhanced graphics and resolution to make everything look more refined and less pixelated, and the ability to use Joy-Con 2 mouse controls to decorate and rearrange furniture, create custom designs, and write messages on the bulletin board with precision. You can also bring up to 12 players to your island, talk to your friends through GameChat using the built-in mic on the Switch 2, and plug in the Nintendo Switch 2 camera (or other compatible camera) to see your face float above your character. You can also get a megaphone to call any islander you want and they respond, making it easier to find them.
The Version 3.0 upgrade, which will be available for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 players, installs a hotel on the pier run by Cap’n and his family, where you can decorate hotel rooms based on the theme, dress up mannequins, and earn hotel tickets to buy stuff from the gift shop. Plus, Resetti the construction mole can come reset an area of your choice, and you can drift to Slumber Island and build another island with your friends and other islanders as soon as you fall asleep.
The last time Animal Crossing: New Horizons got a major update was in late 2021, when it got the Happy Home Paradise DLC. There, you could fly to another island to work on designing homes to any theme requested by the islanders who visit.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition releases January 15, 2026.
