Fans of Animal Crossing games are finally dusting off those island homes, it’s time to return. After promising that the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC and version 2.0 of the game would be the last major update, Nintendo have reignited the flames of cosy Animal Crossing game addiction with two new updates to New Horizons.
The first is a jam packed free 3.0 update with quality-of-life improvements, Slumber Islands and Hotel Room decorating. It’s an update that works on both the original Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 – a solid means of keeping players occupied until the next entry. It is worth noting that the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is not required to play 3.0. The free update runs on both systems. A full Animal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0 Update Guide details all the nifty features all players can start to tuck into.
The other update is specific to Nintendo Switch 2, the appropriately named Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. After a free cross-platform update, is there enough Switch 2 exclusive functionality in the tank to justify a paid upgrade as well?
Short answer is that it’s not essential. A nice-to-have, perhaps. The game’s updates, and now 3.0, have fleshed out the core experience significantly that it’s difficult to see what Nintendo could have boxed away for the newer hardware only. In some ways Nintendo could have chosen to not release the 3.0 edition as a free update and simply lock it to the Switch 2 Edition instead. With a vast existing player base, it’s a positive move to have gone down the free route for the bulk of the changes.
The main paid change takes advantage of the extra processing and graphical fidelity of the Nintendo Switch 2 by upping the resolution to support up to 4K when in TV mode. The difference is there, but only really when zooming in and looking for the details. The Switch 2 experience is smooth and certainly does pop on busier islands, but it’s ultimately a treat for those with the latest screen tech.
Having tried the game on the Switch 2 console before the update, it already offers a far smoother experience than its hardware processor as seen in an earlier comparison video. What this paid update does is up the resolution and reduce load times further. All in all, the game feels snappier and more responsive, especially on densely packed islands.
Another Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition feature uses the right Joy-Con for mouse controls when decorating or designing patterns. Unfortunately, the control scheme is a tale of two halves. Pattern design works well and makes sense when using the pointer for added precision.
However, decorating using a mouse is hit-and-miss. The pointer works when picking up and dropping items, but that’s it. Pulling out items from the inventory still relies on the classic UI, breaking the flow. It would have been far better to rework the control scheme completely, allowing players to pull up the inventory, select an item and drag it with the mouse to the desired spot. Instead, it’s a case of using the Joy-Con analogue stick and the A button to pick items, place, exit out of the menu and then pick it up and drag with the mouse. It really is a literal drag. Mouse controls for decoration should be the optimum setup, but the execution isn’t as intuitive as it could be.
Whilst the bulk of new items comes free as part of New Horizons 3.0, one item that’s exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2 paid upgrade is the trusty megaphone. Animal Crossing: New Leaf had a similar tool, and the mechanic works in a similar way here. Use a microphone to call out villagers to have clues to where they are on the island. Neat. It’s a quirky feature that will likely only be used once or twice. For the most part the game picks up voice recognition well, but where it can get confused is with similar villager names. Testing on an island with three villagers with names beginning with “M” was an experience. No, Muffy, your name is not Merry nor is it Marina.
Finally, with the added RAM and processing brunt of the Nintendo Switch 2, up to 12 players can play together on their islands and use GameChat to hang out. Again, a neat nice-to-have feature that could well re-ignite those Animal Crossing: New Horizons play sessions from the early 2020s. Yes, the early 2020s. Time is flying, readers.
There are two paths to getting hold of Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Those with the regular base game can upgrade for £4.19 / $4.99 by grabbing the Animal Crossing upgrade pack from the eShop. There is value for the low price for upgrading if you’ll use these additional features and crave an incremental graphical push.
Those without the original game can purchase the fully upgraded game as a standalone release. What is surprising is that the standalone Nintendo Switch 2 edition is essentially just the upgraded game and does not bundle in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC from 2021 as one complete, definitive physical package. Given the price difference of a Switch 1 copy plus upgrade pack compared to the boxed Nintendo Switch 2 edition , it’s a potential missed opportunity.
