How to update Animal Crossing: New Horizons and get the new DLC
How to manually update Animal Crossing 2.0 and unlock the Happy Home Paradise DLC.
Two big new things have come to Animal Crossing: New Horizons this week - the free Animal Crossing 2.0 update went live yesterday, and the paid Happy Home Paradise DLC is available to play as of this morning.
But if you're wondering how to update Animal Crossing: New Horizons to make sure you're playing the latest version of the Nintendo island management game, you've come to the right place! Updating the game is easy, and once you know how to do it, you will probably never have to ask that question again.
- For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.
So if you want to update your copy of Animal Crossing to the 2.0 version, and maybe give that Happy Home Paradise DLC a look while you're at it, read on for our handy guide!
How to update Animal Crossing: New Horizons
How do I manually update Animal Crossing: New Horizons? If you've been asking yourself that question, you'll need to follow these steps to update Animal Crossing on your Nintendo Switch:
- Make sure your Nintendo Switch is connected to the internet (press the 'System Settings' cog on the console home page, head to 'Internet Settings' and connect the console to your Wifi)
- Ensure that your copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is closed (hover over the game on your console home page and press the X button to close the software)
- Try to open the game, and you should be prompted to download the Animal Crossing update!
If, for some reason, the update doesn't seem to be coming, try this back-up plan:
- Hover over the game on your console home page and press the + button
- In the menu that appears, head to 'Software Update' and select the option titled 'Via the Internet'
- The console will then search for updates - if you have one to download, it will prompt you to do so.
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What version is the new Animal Crossing update?
Thanks to this update, the new Animal Crossing version number is Ver. 2.0.0. - this is the update that brings Brewster and the Roost into the game. It is said to be one of the final updates for the game, so we wouldn't expect to see many higher version numbers than that in future.
Once you've successfully downloaded the update, you should see that number presented in the top right-hand corner of the game's home screen, as illustrated in the Tweet below:
How to get the Happy Home Paradise DLC in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
It's worth stressing that the Happy Home Paradise DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is not free, and you will have to pay if you want to get this holiday home add-on. There are two ways to pay:
- Buy the Happy Home Paradise DLC on its own (£22.49)
- Buy a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership (£59.99 for a year)
Whichever way you choose to buy the DLC, once you've bought it, here's what you need to do in order to access the Happy Home Paradise DLC:
- Head to the Nintendo eShop on your console (the shopping bag icon on the console home screen)
- Search for Happy Home Paradise in the eShop
- On the Happy Home Paradise product page, click to download it
- Once it's downloaded, the DLC will be worked into the game next time you open it!
How to start Happy Home Paradise in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
If you're wondering, after all that, how to start the Happy Home Paradise DLC in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it really is pretty simple - once you've bought and downloaded the DLC, Toom Nook will whisk you away to the airport next time you open the game. He'll explain the world of work to you, and you should be able to start your holiday home adventure! Have fun.
Read more on Animal Crossing:
- Animal Crossing Gyroids guide - where to find them
- How to get Brewster in Animal Crossing
- Animal Crossing ordinances guide - what do they do?
- How to get the best turnip price every week in Animal Crossing
- Animal Crossing's best and most popular villagers
- The best Animal Crossing dream islands to explore
- Animal Crossing shooting stars guide
- How to restart your game in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
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Authors
Rob Leane is the Gaming Editor at Radio Times, overseeing our coverage of the biggest games on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile and VR. Rob works across our website, social media accounts and video channels, as well as producing our weekly gaming newsletter. He has previously worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional and Dennis Publishing.
