Animal Crossing: New Horizons Getting Exciting Free Update and Paid Switch 2 Edition

The trailer for the update shows off a plethora of new features. One of the most notable features is the addition of a hotel on the pier. Run by Kapp’n and his family, the hotel will be a place for villagers who don’t live on your island to come visit. You can decorate rooms for the guests with different themes, much like how you can decorate houses in the Happy Home Paradise DLC. Decorating rooms will earn you “hotel tickets,” which you can use to purchase exclusive items.

There is also a new “Slumber Island” mode where Nintendo Switch Online members can decorate and terraform up to three “dream islands,” and you can change the season, time of day, and weather whenever you want. Players can invite other players to help them construct and decorate their dream islands. It seems a bit redundant, but if your regular island is running out of space, the dream islands might be places where you can experiment with different themes.

New Items and Improvements

In addition, there will be new items available for purchase. You can now purchase LEGO-themed items, as well old Nintendo game systems and accessories. If you have an active Nintendo Switch Online account, you’ll even be able to play select retro Nintendo games on those systems, similar to how the first Animal Crossing game on the GameCube allowed you to play NES games. Given that Nintendo Switch Online already has the retro game collections freely available, the feature doesn’t have quite the same appeal that it did back then, but it should still be fun.

The game will also be adding new item sets and villagers themed after The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon. That sounds awesome, but unfortunately, you need compatible Amiibo figures in order to access them. Yup, Nintendo’s trying to drain your pockets yet again.

Finally, there will be some quality-of-life improvements. You can purchase extra storage upgrades, increasing the maximum storage from 5,000 items to 9,000, and you can now store trees, bushes, and flowers. You’ll be able to talk to Resetti, the grouchy gopher, to reset any part of your island. This could be handy if you have large groups of items that you want to put into storage. In addition, you’ll be able to craft items in bulk, at long last.

This Stuff Sounds Awesome! So What’s In the Switch 2 Upgrade?

The Switch 2 upgrade will cost $4.99 for those who already own the Switch version of New Horizons. The upgrade will enhance the graphics for the Switch 2’s more advanced specs. You can purchase a megaphone, which you can use to call your neighbors with the Switch 2’s microphone, and use the Switch 2’s mouse controls for designing outfits and decorating your house. You can also now invite up to twelve people to come visit your island, and you can communicate using the Switch 2’s GameChat and camera. While these features are appealing, they aren’t life-changing. It seems like this upgrade could have just been offered for free.

What Does This Mean for a Future Animal Crossing Game?

Of course, such a huge upgrade stimulates the question of when we will see a new Animal Crossing game. This is one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises, and with the Switch 2 breaking sales records, it seems like Nintendo would want to get a new Animal Crossing game out on the new system. However, given that Nintendo seems to be taking its time getting a new mainline Mario game out, it might be a while before we get another Animal Crossing game. At least we’ve got this update to tide us over in the meantime.