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Animal Crossing: New Horizons has three useful multiplayer arrangements. One Nintendo Switch and one game can put up to four residents on the same island at once. Local wireless and standard online sessions support up to eight players, but each player needs a separate Switch and copy of the game. Online play also requires Nintendo Switch Online, Nintendo Account access, an internet connection and up-to-date software. If every participant owns Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, an online session can include up to 12 people.
The right setup depends on whether everyone is sharing one console, meeting with separate consoles nearby, or connecting over the internet. The controller, account and game-copy requirements are different for each mode.
Multiplayer options at a glance
| Mode | Consoles | Game copies | Controllers | Internet or service | Maximum simultaneous players |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Same-console island play | One Nintendo Switch | One game | One usable controller per player | No online connection required for the local session | Four |
| Local wireless | One Switch per player | One game per player | Each player uses the controller for their own system | Nearby local wireless connection; Nintendo Switch Online is not required for this mode | Eight |
| Standard online | One Switch per player | One game per player | Each player uses the controller for their own system | Nintendo Switch Online, Nintendo Account access, internet and current software | Eight |
| Online with Nintendo Switch 2 Edition | One Switch per player | One Switch 2 Edition game per player | Each player uses the controller for their own system | Online requirements still apply | Up to 12 when everyone owns the Switch 2 Edition |
The decisive distinction is same-console play versus separate-console play. Sharing one Switch lets four residents play together, but they remain on one island and need enough controllers. Moving to local wireless or online play raises the normal player limit to eight, while also requiring one console and one game for every participant.
Playing together on one Nintendo Switch
What one-console multiplayer means
Each Nintendo Switch has one island. Up to eight user profiles can live on that island, but only four residents can play simultaneously on the console. This is local party play rather than four independent islands: everyone is visiting the same island at the same time, and the session is managed by the resident who starts it.
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- Build your community from scratch on a deserted island brimming with possibility; Create your personal getaway and customize your character, home, decorations, and even the landscape itself
- Collect materials to construct everything from furniture to tools. Then, use what you create to give your island a personal touch
- Watch as the time of day and seasons match real life—even your hemisphere. Each day holds potential for surprises and discoveries
- Get to know the island residents, garden, fish, decorate, hunt for fossils, and more.
- Show off your paradise – play on the same system with a total of 4 people, or play together online or over local wireless for fun with up to 8 players
Nintendo describes the arrangement as allowing “one Nintendo Switch system and one game” to support four players on the same island at once. Additional accessories may be required because the console must have a usable controller for every person who joins.
Resident and profile requirements
Before a second person can join, that person must have a user profile on the Switch and a character living on the island. The game supports up to eight profiles as island residents. The in-game phone gains the Call Resident application once at least two players live on the island.
Calling a resident starts the same-console session. The resident who initiates it acts as the leader for the session; the other players participate as followers. This arrangement is limited to residents of that console’s island, not friends who live on another Switch.
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Controllers for four players
Every simultaneous player needs a controller that the game recognizes. Nintendo’s documented options include individual Joy-Con configurations and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller support. A single pair of Joy-Con may not provide four independent controllers, so check the number of usable controllers before inviting a full group. Extra Joy-Con or Pro Controllers, along with any needed accessories, may be necessary.
How to start same-console play
- Create a user profile for each person who will play and have each profile create an island resident.
- Confirm that at least two residents now live on the island. This unlocks Call Resident on the NookPhone.
- Give each participant a usable, paired controller.
- Open the NookPhone, choose Call Resident, and select the residents who should join.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to begin. Up to four residents, including the leader, can play at once.
One-console play is the only arrangement in which multiple people can use one game copy. It is therefore the practical choice for a household sharing a Switch, but it does not let each player roam a separate island or use a separate console during the same session.
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Local wireless multiplayer with nearby Switch consoles
What you need
Local wireless connects nearby consoles without sending the session over the internet. Nintendo requires one system and one game per player for this mode, and up to eight players can join. Each person therefore needs their own Switch, their own copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and a controller for that system.
The consoles must be close enough to communicate through local wireless. This is different from same-console play: participants are not sharing one island screen, and the four-player limit for one console does not apply. The normal local-wireless ceiling is eight players.
Unlock the Airport first
Travel features are not available immediately. The Airport opens on the second day of in-game play. Once it is open on each participating island, the host can open the gate and visitors can request a flight.
Host steps
- Go to the Airport on the island that will host the visit.
- Speak to the airport staff and choose I want visitors.
- Choose Via local play.
- Decide whether to invite friends or restrict entry with a four-digit Dodo Code.
- Keep the gate open while the other players search for the island and arrive.
Visitor steps
- Go to the Airport on the visiting island.
- Choose I wanna fly!.
- Select Via local play.
- Choose the nearby host’s island, or enter the host’s four-digit Dodo Code when prompted.
- Confirm the flight and wait for the arrival sequence to finish.
A Dodo Code is useful when several islands are nearby or when the host wants to control who joins. It is a four-digit code for local wireless sessions. Because each participant brings a separate console and game, local wireless is suitable for groups in the same home, room or event that do not need an internet connection.
Online multiplayer over the internet
Online requirements
Online play adds service and account requirements that do not apply to a same-console session. The setup requires:
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- Build your community from scratch on a deserted island brimming with possibility; Create your personal getaway and customize your character, home, decorations, and even the landscape itself
- Collect materials to construct everything from furniture to tools. Then, use what you create to give your island a personal touch
- Watch as the time of day and seasons match real life—even your hemisphere. Each day holds potential for surprises and discoveries
- Get to know the island residents, garden, fish, decorate, hunt for fossils, and more.
- Show off your paradise – Play on the same system with a total of 4 people, or play together online or over local wireless for fun with up to 8 players
- An active Nintendo Switch Online membership.
- Nintendo Account access.
- Internet access for the participating consoles.
- Current game software for everyone joining.
- One Nintendo Switch system and one game per player.
The standard online limit is eight simultaneous players. The one-system, one-game rule still applies even when people know each other or own the game digitally on a family console; online participants do not share the host’s copy through the session.
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- Open the Airport after it is available on the island.
- Speak to the airport staff and choose I want visitors.
- Choose the online option and select whether to invite friends or use a Dodo Code.
- If using a code, share the five-digit Dodo Code only with the people who should enter.
- Leave the gate open until all intended visitors have arrived.
Visitor steps
- Open the Airport on your island.
- Choose I wanna fly!.
- Select Via online play.
- Search for a friend or enter the host’s five-digit Dodo Code.
- Confirm the destination and wait for the connection and arrival process.
Online sessions are the right choice when players are not in the same place. They are also the mode that most often fails because of an expired Nintendo Switch Online membership, an account or connectivity problem, or software that is not updated on every console.
What changes with the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Nintendo documents a larger online session for Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Up to 12 people can play together online when everyone has that edition. The condition applies to every participant, not only the host.
If even one participant is using the regular version rather than the Switch 2 Edition, use the standard session limit of eight. The Switch 2 Edition does not turn a one-console session into a 12-player local party; the four-player same-console limit remains the relevant limit when everyone is sharing one Switch.
Choosing the right setup
Use one-console play when
- Everyone is physically sharing one Nintendo Switch.
- You have up to four island residents who want to play at the same time.
- You want to use one game copy and do not need separate consoles.
- You have enough compatible controllers for the group.
Use local wireless when
- Players are in the same place but each has a Switch.
- You want up to eight players without an online service membership.
- Every participant has a console and a copy of the game.
- The Airport is open on the participating islands.
Use online play when
- Players are in different locations.
- Everyone can meet the Nintendo Switch Online, Nintendo Account, internet and software-version requirements.
- Each player has a Switch and a copy of the game.
- You need the friend-search and Dodo Code options over the internet.
Target 12 players only when
- The session is online rather than same-console or ordinary local wireless.
- Every participant owns Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
- Every participant still meets the normal online account, membership, internet and software requirements.
Troubleshooting the common setup problems
Call Resident is missing
Check that more than one user profile has created a resident on the island. The option appears only after at least two players live there. Also check that you are looking on the NookPhone of the island where the residents were created; profiles on another Switch cannot be added to this same-console session.
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- Take in-game photos of your designs and add them to your portfolio. Show them to other characters and you may get more requests to create vacation homes. Share the photos with other players using the in-game Showroom in the Happy Home Network app and they can tour your personally-designed resort islands or go tour theirs for some relaxation and inspiration.
- Purchase the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC from Nintendo eShop, or download and play it as part of an active Nintendo Switch Online plus Expansion Pack membership at no extra cost.
A fourth local player cannot join
Count the active controllers, not just the people in the room. Each simultaneous player needs a usable controller, and Nintendo notes that additional accessories may be required. Pair or connect another compatible Joy-Con arrangement or Pro Controller before starting the session.
A nearby console cannot find the host
Confirm that the host selected I want visitors and Via local play, while the visitor selected I wanna fly! and Via local play. Verify that the Airport is open on both islands and that the consoles are close enough for local wireless communication. A four-digit Dodo Code can help select the intended island.
An online visitor cannot connect
Check the active Nintendo Switch Online membership, Nintendo Account access, internet connection and game updates on every participating system. The host must open the gate from the Airport, and the visitor must choose Via online play. If the host supplied a code, enter the complete five-digit Dodo Code rather than a local-play code.
The group expected 12 online players but only eight can join
The 12-player allowance applies only when every participant owns the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. A group containing the regular edition must use the standard eight-player limit.
Quick Recap
Practical checklist before everyone arrives
- Decide whether the group is sharing one console, meeting locally with separate consoles, or playing online.
- Count consoles and game copies. Separate-console modes require one of each per player.
- For same-console play, count one compatible controller for every simultaneous resident.
- Make sure every participant’s island has access to the Airport for travel-based modes.
- For online play, verify Nintendo Switch Online, Nintendo Account access, internet connectivity and current game software.
- Choose the correct connection path: Via local play for nearby consoles and Via online play for internet sessions.
- Share the appropriate code: four digits for local wireless or five digits for online play.
- If planning 12-player online multiplayer, confirm the Switch 2 Edition on every participant’s account before opening the gate.
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