Overview
- President Shuntaro Furukawa told investors on Feb. 4 that updating major Switch hits is intended to keep current owners active while enabling a gradual transition to Switch 2.
- Nintendo reports that January’s releases brought lapsed players back to Animal Crossing: New Horizons and increased play from users on Switch 2.
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons received the free 3.0.0 update and a paid Switch 2 Edition, with additions such as a new hotel feature and visual enhancements on the newer hardware.
- Splatoon 3 rolled out substantial patches, including version 11.0.0 with the Flow Aura kill‑streak mechanic and on-screen health bars, following earlier Switch 2 enhancements in version 10.0.0.
- The updates are designed for both consoles, pairing new content on original Switch with Switch 2‑specific upgrades, and Furukawa said the company sees ongoing value in updating widely used Switch software.