Animal Crossing Update Adds Lego Furniture, With a Switch 2 Version Arriving the Same Day
Animal Crossing fans just got a big surprise, and it’s not just a new content update. A Switch 2 version is on the way.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons will receive its first major update in three years, according to a Nintendo post on Thursday. The update, titled 3.0, will roll out on January 15, the same day the Switch 2 version of the game becomes available for purchase.
Released on the original Switch in 2020, New Horizons was the first Animal Crossing game to come to a Nintendo console since 2008’s Animal Crossing: City Folk for the Nintendo Wii.
Nintendo regularly updated New Horizons for two years after its release, but stopped with update 2.0.6 released in November 2022. Two updates were added earlier in the year to prepare the game for playability on Switch 2.
Animal Crossing 3.0 Update
In update 3.0 coming on January 15, a new hotel opens. Players can help attract guests to stay at the hotel by decorating rooms and dressing mannequins to sell resort clothing.
For those who haven’t touched New Horizons in years, a reset service will be available. Players can have their island cleaned and items can be stored or discarded for those who want a clean slate.
You really can build a whole new house with new Lego furniture.
Players with a Nintendo Switch Online membership will have access to up to three islands, where they can explore and do whatever they want. These new areas are available on Slumber Island. It’s up to the player to decide what the island will look like, what objects or plants will be there, and even what characters will be on the island. Players can also invite friends to build it together.
New Horizons will feature special collaborations and retro Nintendo hardware. Lego items will be available in the update with which players can decorate their homes or clothes with which to dress their villagers. Retro Nintendo consoles, like the NES and Game Boy, can also be used as decorative items.
If the player has a Switch Online subscription, some classic titles such as Ice Climbers and Dr. Mario can be played through these in-game devices. There are also special items based on The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon series when players place their amiibo from these games on the Switch while playing.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Switch 2
Switch 2 owners can join the game of digital life with Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Not only will this new version come with updated graphics, including 4K resolution in TV mode, but it will also add special features that can only be achieved on the newer console.
One of the features is mouse controls for the Joy-Con 2. Players will be able to use the controller as a mouse to decorate the interior, create custom designs, and write handwritten messages for the bulletin board.
Residents in the game can now be found by speaking their name into the Switch 2’s built-in microphone while using the in-game megaphone. Multiplayer has also improved significantly, with 12-player sessions available for those playing on the new edition, and CameraPlay is supported to allow players to see each other.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch 2 will be available for purchase January 15 for $65. Owners of the original Switch version of New Horizons can upgrade to the Switch 2 version for $5.
