Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Adds Resort Hotels, Dream Islands, and 12-Player Multiplayer

The island life just got a whole lot bigger. Nintendo has unveiled Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, a comprehensive upgrade to the 2020 phenomenon that introduces new gameplay systems, enhanced visuals, and multiplayer improvements designed to take full advantage of the Switch 2 hardware.

A New Chapter for Island Living

Rather than a simple port, Nintendo has crafted what they describe as a version that makes the game "a bit more convenient and easier to play" while adding substantial new content. The Switch 2 Edition launches alongside a simultaneous Ver. 3.0 update, bringing new features to both new and returning players.

For existing New Horizons owners, Nintendo offers an upgrade path priced at just ¥550, making the transition to the enhanced version remarkably accessible. This aligns with Nintendo's strategy as 84% of Switch 2 buyers are upgrading from the original console. This upgrade unlocks all Switch 2 specific features while preserving existing island save data.

Resort Hotel: Welcome Tourists to Your Island

The headline addition is an entirely new Resort Hotel system. Working alongside the Kapp'n family, players can now attract tourists to their islands and manage a full hotel operation. Guests arrive seeking island attractions, and it falls to the player to coordinate room assignments, develop points of interest, and ensure visitors have memorable stays.

This represents the largest structural addition to New Horizons since the game's original release, transforming islands from personal retreats into bustling vacation destinations. The tourism mechanic adds an economic layer that rewards players who have invested time in decorating and developing their spaces.

Dream Island: Three Canvases for Creativity

The new Dream Island feature provides something players have long requested: consequence-free creative space. Within dreams, players gain access to three separate islands that can be developed without the constraints of their main island. These dream spaces support online multiplayer, allowing friends and family to collaborate on creative builds together.

This mode essentially triples the available creative real estate while keeping the main island experience intact. Experimental layouts, themed areas, or collaborative projects no longer require sacrificing carefully cultivated primary islands.

Switch 2 Hardware Integration

The edition takes full advantage of the new console's capabilities, joining titles like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in showcasing Switch 2's power. In TV mode, the game renders at 4K resolution, bringing unprecedented clarity to every flower petal, wood grain, and fabric pattern. The visual upgrade extends to lighting and environmental effects throughout the experience.

Joy-Con 2's mouse functionality transforms how players interact with the game's creative tools. Room decoration, custom design creation, and bulletin board writing all support intuitive mouse-style controls, making precise placement and detailed artwork significantly more accessible.

The built-in microphone enables a new Megaphone item. Calling out a villager's name into the controller causes them to respond and react, adding a playful dimension to daily island interactions. Voice recognition understands villager names and triggers appropriate responses.

For those with compatible USB cameras (sold separately), the game can display up to four player faces simultaneously during multiplayer sessions, bridging the gap between local and online play by letting friends see each other while sharing island time.

Expanded Multiplayer

Online play receives substantial improvements. Sessions between Switch 2 Edition copies support up to 12 simultaneous players, a significant increase from the original's 8-player cap. When connecting with players using the original Switch version, the cap remains at 8 players to maintain performance parity.

Built-in voice chat eliminates the need for external apps or devices. Players can communicate directly through the game during online sessions, streamlining the social experience that defines Animal Crossing at its best.

Quality of Life: Reset Cleanup Center

Addressing one of the community's persistent requests, the Reset Cleanup Center automatically organizes items that have been left scattered around the island. This feature helps maintain island aesthetics without requiring players to manually sort through accumulated clutter, a particularly welcome addition for those returning after extended breaks.

Crossover Content

The Switch 2 Edition includes new crossover items from three major Nintendo and partner franchises. Items inspired by The Legend of Zelda, Splatoon, and LEGO join the game's furniture and decoration catalog, expanding creative options for themed builds and personal expression.

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