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| Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition showing island life, villagers, and updated visuals |
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of those games most people never really finish. You put it down, come back months later, and somehow end up rearranging your island again without meaning to. With Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Version 3.0 update now live, Nintendo is giving players another reason to check back in, even if they thought they were done.
This isn’t a full rework or a dramatic overhaul. It’s more about smoothing out the experience and adding a few smart improvements that make everyday play feel better. Some of those changes are easy to notice right away, while others only start to make a difference after you’ve spent some time back on your island.
The update brings meaningful improvements that apply across both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, while Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition focuses more on performance, overall image quality, and a handful of hardware-specific additions. Together, they make this feel like the most polished version of New Horizons so far, even if the core game remains very much the same.
The real question isn’t whether Animal Crossing: New Horizons is still worth playing. That answer has been clear for a long time. What matters now is whether Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition gives you a good reason to return, or if the changes are subtle enough that you can comfortably stick with the version you already have.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Details
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Life Simulation
Game Mode: Single-player, Online Multiplayer
What’s New in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Version 3.0
While Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition gets most of the attention, the Version 3.0 update is where the biggest changes actually live. This update is available on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, and it is where most of the meaningful changes are when it comes to improving how the game feels to play day to day.
The most immediately noticeable change is how crafting works. Materials can now be pulled directly from storage, which removes one of the most annoying parts of the original experience. No more running back and forth to grab supplies or cluttering your pockets just to build a few items. It’s a small change on paper, but it makes a huge difference once you start playing again.
Storage itself has also been expanded, giving you more room to hold onto furniture, clothing, and materials without constantly needing to sell or reorganize. Plants can now be stored as well, which makes decorating and redesigning your island far less tedious than it used to be.
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| Version 3.0 expands storage options in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, letting players store plants, trees, and more without cluttering their island. |
The Hotel and Dream Islands
One of the biggest additions in Version 3.0 is the Hotel. This feature brings ideas from Happy Home Paradise into the main game and gives you a reason to design more often. You’re given themed rooms to decorate, access to a wider range of items, and the freedom to experiment without worrying about messing up your island layout.
Dream Islands also see a meaningful upgrade. You can now create and save multiple dream versions of your island, giving you space to experiment or show off different ideas without affecting your main save. It’s an easy feature to get lost in, especially if you enjoy building elaborate layouts or sharing creations with friends.
There are also plenty of smaller quality-of-life changes that add up over time. Villagers behave a little more naturally, visiting areas they previously avoided. You have more control when inviting new residents. Daily routines feel smoother. None of these changes redefine the game on their own, but together they make New Horizons feel more comfortable and less restrictive than it was at launch.
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| The Hotel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition adds a new space for decorating, meeting villagers, and experimenting with layouts. |
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Features
While the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Version 3.0 update contains a majority of the changes, Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition adds a layer of refinement on top. These changes don't overhaul how Animal Crossing: New Horizons plays, but they do make the experience feel smoother and more modern when playing on newer hardware.
A Cleaner Look Without Changing the Style
The most noticeable change is the game's image quality. On Nintendo Switch 2, the game runs at a higher resolution, which makes textures look cleaner and edges less rough, especially when playing docked. Colours appear more vibrant, and the overall image looks sharper without losing the soft art style that defines the series.
That said, this is not a dramatic visual update. Animal Crossing: New Horizons already had a strong visual identity, and the improvements here feel more like polish than transformation. If you are coming from the Nintendo Switch, you will notice the difference, but it is a small one rather than a dramatic change.
The game still runs at 30 frames per second, which is a bit of a dissapointment. I was hopping that the frame rate would also get a boost to 60fps. Performance is stable, though, and areas that previously struggled with heavy decoration now hold up better. The experience feels smoother overall.
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| Visual upgrades in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition improve lighting and overall image quality while keeping the original style intact. |
Mouse Controls and Interaction
One of the more interesting additions is support for mouse-style controls using the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons. This works primarily in creative spaces such as decorating rooms, placing furniture, and working with custom designs.
In practice, it feels intuitive and easy to pick up. Moving objects and adjusting layouts is quicker and more accurate than using analog sticks alone. It doesn't change how the game plays at a fundamental level, but it does make decorating more comfortable.
The feature is not used everywhere, and menus still rely on traditional controls, which keeps it from feeling fully integrated. Even so, it is a welcome addition that fits naturally with how many already interact with the game.
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| Mouse controls in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition make custom designs and decorating feel quicker and more precise. |
The Megaphone and Online Changes
The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition also introduces the megaphone, which lets you call out to villagers using the system’s microphone. When it works, it helps track down residents more quickly around the island, though it can feel inconsistent at times.
Multiplayer sees a more practical improvement. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition increases online play to support up to twelve players at once, up from eight on the original version. It makes group visits feel less restrictive, even if the overall structure of multiplayer remains the same.
Load times also see improvement here. Moving between areas and hosting visitors feels quicker, especially on larger islands, which helps multiplayer sessions flow more smoothly.
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| The new megaphone in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition lets players call out to villagers to track them down around the island. |
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Just Feels Better on Nintendo Switch 2
After spending several hours with Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, the biggest takeaway is how much smoother the overall experience feels. Nothing about the game has fundamentally changed, but many of the small frustrations that used to be part of everyday play are far less noticeable now.
Load times are shorter across the board. Moving between buildings, flying to other islands, and loading into the game itself all happen more quickly than before. It does not remove waiting entirely, but the reduced downtime helps the game flow better.
Smoother Performance Across the Island
Performance holds up better on heavily decorated islands. Areas that previously struggled when filled with furniture and paths now remain stable. Movement feels more consistent, and the game no longer slows down as easily when a lot is happening on screen.
At the same time, this is still very much the same game. Animations move at the same pace, menus behave the same way, and the overall rhythm has not changed. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition does not try to rework how New Horizons plays.
A More Comfortable Way to Return
Most of the meaningful changes come from the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Version 3.0 update. The quality-of-life improvements, expanded storage options, and added activities give players real reasons to come back. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition builds on that foundation in quieter ways, making longer play sessions more comfortable without changing what makes the game special.
If you want a deeper look at what Version 3.0 adds and how the Nintendo Switch 2 update changes the experience, here’s our full breakdown of everything included that’s worth checking out alongside this review.
If you are returning after time away, this is the best version of the game to come back to. And if you are still actively playing, the improvements are enough to make the upgrade feel worthwhile without changing what makes Animal Crossing feel like home.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Review Summary
Liked
- Version 3.0 quality-of-life changes improve everyday play
- Crafting from storage removes unnecessary busywork
- The Hotel adds a relaxed, creative loop
- Sharper visuals and steadier performance on Nintendo Switch 2
- Mouse-style controls work well for decorating
Didn’t Like
- Still locked to 30 frames per second
- Megaphone feature feels inconsistent
- Nintendo Switch 2-specific upgrades are fairly subtle
Overall Assessment of Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Gameplay: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.0 / 5)
Presentation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.0 / 5)
Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5 / 5)
Story: ⭐⭐⭐½☆ (3.5 / 5)
Fun Factor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.0 / 5)
Overall Value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.0 / 5)
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