Animal Crossing: New Horizons, one of the defining games of the Nintendo Switch era, is getting a Switch 2 Edition with upgraded performance and new content on January 15, 2026. Up until now, Switch 2 upgrades for first-party games have retailed for $10-$20, but New Horizons is only a $5 upgrade. Nintendo is also releasing a new physical edition of Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Switch 2. Like all first-party titles, the full game file is stored on the Switch 2 card. You can preorder New Horizons for Nintendo Switch 2 for $65 at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and GameStop.
$65 | Releases January 15, 2026
The Switch 2 edition of Animal Crossing: New Horizons features an enhanced resolution and faster loading times. The game will also take advantage of Switch 2 hardware, as it supports mouse controls with the right Joy-Con to help you express your creativity more fluidly, and you can also use CameraPlay and GameChat to interact with fellow islanders. Another new feature is the megaphone, as by using the Switch 2 microphone, you can call out to nearby residents and have them respond to you in kind.
Online support is also being expanded from eight to 12 players, and a free update will add the Resort Hotel, Slumber Island, and even Lego furniture to the game. Players will also be able to visit a resort hotel run by Kapp’n and his family, and by helping out, you can acquire retro Nintendo hardware and toys to decorate your home with. Just like in the GameCube iteration of Animal Crossing, you will be able to play retro games inside your villager’s home–if you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership. Nintendo has confirmed support for Game Boy, NES, and SNES Switch Online games.
$53.90 (was $60) | Upgrade to Switch 2 Edition for $5
Like all first-party Switch games with Nintendo Switch 2 Editions, owners of the original physical or digital version of New Horizons can upgrade to Switch 2 for a fee on the eShop. You could buy a physical copy for $54 at Amazon and then purchase the $5 Upgrade Pack. At the moment, this method saves you about $6, but your game box won’t match your other Switch 2 games.
$55
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It’s worth noting that the official Animal Crossing: New Horizons strategy guide is still in print. Published by Future Press in June 2023, this 688-page hardcover guidebook is the most comprehensive resource available for Nintendo’s idyllic island life sim. While it naturally doesn’t include the new content from the upcoming 3.0 update, it does cover everything in the game at this time, including the Happy Home Paradise expansion. Just make sure you buy The Official Complete Guide, not the original Companion Guide from 2020. The newer guide includes roughly 250 pages of fresh information and updates throughout.
Featuring high-quality pages and vibrant imagery, this book will help you make the most of your island getaway with tips, explainers, and fun diagrams. It’s also a neat collectible and display piece for big Animal Crossing fans.
Nintendo Switch 2 owners looking for games to play this holiday have multiple exciting recent and upcoming Nintendo exclusives to check out. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, the latest Dynasty Warriors x The Legend of Zelda hack-and-slash game, releases November 6 exclusively on Switch 2. On November 20, Kirby Air Riders and the physical edition of Hades II–a timed Switch 2-console exclusive–arrive in stores. The big game for December is the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which will be available for both Switch and Switch 2.
Switch and Switch 2 owners should also check out Nintendo’s two major October releases, Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2.
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