Everything in the Animal Crossing New Horizons Update 3.0

The Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update 3.0 is officially here, which also means the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is too. There's quite a lot to explore as the update delivers several quality-of-life changes, as well as an entirely new resort hotel, Slumber Islands, and the Reset Service. The best part is, while you have to pay for the Switch 2 upgrade and it's improved resolution, the 3.0 update is free to all Animal Crossing New Horizons players! If you want to make sure you don't miss out on any of the big additions and changes as you return to your island, here's a helpful breakdown of everything you need to know about Animal Crossing New Horizons Update 3.0.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update 3.0 and Switch 2 Edition release date and price

The Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update 3.0 and Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade are both available now.

The 3.0 update is free and just in case you need some help, here's how to update Animal Crossing to get it installed. However, the Switch 2 Edition upgrade is a premium Switch 2 game upgrade, so you need to buy it in the Nintendo eShop for $4.99/£4.19.

In fact, if you're upgrading to the Switch 2 Edition, make sure you know how to transfer your Animal Crossing New Horizons save to Switch 2. You'll also get to buy the Animal Crossing Megaphone to shout at your villagers.

Help run the Resort Hotel

Your pier got an update with 3.0, and Kapp'n's family has moved in. Update 3.0 adds a whole new Animal Crossing Hotel to your island, which Kapp'n's family needs your help to decorate - think Happy Home Paradise, but hotel rooms.

You'll be given a theme to follow for each guest room, where you'll have to add furniture, wallpapers, lights and everything else you'll need to make a nice getaway space. Random villagers will then come and stay, and even walk around your island as the ultimate vacay spot. Rewards for your hard work come in the form of hotel tickets, which you can exchange at the Hotel Souvenir shop for new items and furniture, which will seemingly rotate like Nook's Cranny.

Resetti is finally here and he can help you clear your island

Our old 'pal' Resetti makes his official debut in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update 3.0. He offers a new Animal Crossing Reset Service, letting you tidy up areas of your island, removing all the items you've left on it and safely storing them for you - rather than you having to do it all manually.

Slumber Islands give you additional islands to design

Going to sleep just got a whole lot more exciting in ACNH as we've now got access to new Animal Crossing Slumber Islands, which you can get to by having a lie down on your bed.

Slumber Islands let you get access up to three totally empty islands - either small, medium, or large in size - for you to completely redesign as you please. We're talking terraforming, bridges, slopes, and all the furniture you've unlocked (without having to craft anything). You can even add trees or flowers at different stages of growth for serious creative control over how your Slumber Islands look. You can also control the time of day and season too. It's essentially a sandbox mode for Animal Crossing New Horizons, where you can also let your villagers roam, too, by adding them to it.

Zelda, Splatoon and other awesome collabs are here

Update 3.0 also goes Nintendo-wide with some new furniture collaborations for New Horizons. Firstly, there are some classic Nintendo consoles, including the Famicom, NES, and Game Boy. If you've got a Nintendo Switch Online membership, interacting with these consoles in-game will let you play 'selected classic games' on these consoles too.

LEGO is also bringing some excellent official items into the game, including a whole load of furniture and some clothing items. Seriously loving the LEGO arcade and flowers.

And if you've got compatible Legend of Zelda amiibo you can get some pretty sweet Animal Crossing Zelda items.There are iconic outfits, rupees, the Tri-Force itself, and other items up for grabs. There are also two new Animal Crossing Zelda villagers to unlock - Tulin and Mineru - who can camp at your island or even become residents if you wish.

It's the same deal with Splatoon amiibo too. There's two new squirrel villagers to unlock called Cece and Viche, who are based on the Splatoon TV hosts Shiver and Frye. Of course, there are also Splatoon outfits, hairstyles and furniture to unlock too.

Animal Crossing update 3.0 quality of life updates

A couple of other additions to Update 3.0 involve your home storage capacity. Home storage capacity has two new upgrade options of 7,000 and 9,000, which can be unlocked via Tom Nook. And, you can also store trees, shrubs and flowers in your home storage.

There are also improvements to crafting, with one major upgrade that Nintendo didn't even put in the trailer. You can now, at long last, craft straight from your storage, rather than having to move everything into your pockets.

You'll also be finally able to craft in bulk, using any crafting bench. What a relief!

See what else is ahead with our roundup of upcoming Switch 2 games and upcoming Switch games.

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