Is Animal Crossing Cross Platform? Crossplay and Cross-Progression (2026)
Nick Guli|Partly. Checked on Oct 13, 2026.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the only game right now that offers online play across platforms. Players on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 can join together in sessions with up to eight people. If you want to have 12 players, everyone needs to own the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. You won’t find this game on PC, PlayStation, or Xbox. Additionally, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete is a distinct mobile app available on iOS and Android, but it doesn’t support cross-platform purchases.
Animal Crossing crossplay by platform
| Platform | Crossplay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch | Yes | Nintendo Switch players can play online with Nintendo Switch 2 players, in sessions of up to eight. Nintendo's support FAQ says up to eight people can play together online or by local wireless, and online play needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership and a Nintendo Account. Update 2.0.7 in May 2025 improved multiplayer compatibility between Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch. |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Yes | The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition can play online with Nintendo Switch players in standard sessions of up to eight. According to Nintendo, 12-player online sessions are only available when everyone has the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. The Nintendo Switch version also runs on Nintendo Switch 2 as a compatible title. |
| PC (Steam) | Not on this platform | No Animal Crossing game is listed for PC. The series is published by Nintendo for Nintendo hardware and mobile. |
| PC (Epic) | Not on this platform | No Animal Crossing game is listed for this platform. |
| PlayStation 5 | Not on this platform | No Animal Crossing game is listed for this platform. |
| PlayStation 4 | Not on this platform | No Animal Crossing game is listed for this platform. |
| Xbox Series X|S | Not on this platform | No Animal Crossing game is listed for this platform. |
| Xbox One | Not on this platform | No Animal Crossing game is listed for this platform. |
| iOS | No | Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete is available on iOS but is a separate mobile game that does not play with the console game. It is designed to be played offline. Players exchange Camper Cards through QR codes instead of live online play. |
| Android | No | Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete is available on Android but does not connect to the console game for multiplayer. It is designed to be played offline, with Camper Cards replacing the old Friends feature. |
Does Animal Crossing have cross-progression?
Partly. New Horizons island data lives on one console and cannot be copied. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition does not support Save Data Cloud, and the island can only be moved between consoles, not duplicated. Players can move an island from Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2 using system transfer or the free Island Transfer Tool, and the source console loses the island. Nintendo's support FAQ says only one island can exist per console. Pocket Camp Complete is sold separately for each operating system and cannot be used on a different OS without a second purchase, according to the Pocket Camp Complete FAQ. The Pocket Camp Complete listing says custom designs can be imported from New Horizons, which is not full cross-progression.
Animal Crossing crossplay FAQ
Is Animal Crossing cross platform?
Partly. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the only current entry with online play across platforms. Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 players can play online together in sessions of up to eight, and 12-player sessions require everyone to own the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. The game is not on PC, PlayStation or Xbox. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete is a separate mobile app on iOS and Android with no cross-platform purchase.
Can Animal Crossing: New Horizons players on Switch and Switch 2 play together?
Yes. Nintendo's support pages say players on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 can play together online or locally, with up to eight players per session. Online play requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
How do 12-player sessions work?
Twelve-player online sessions are only available on the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, and everyone in the session must own it. Hosts choose the 12-player session option when opening their island gate. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack costs $4.99 for owners of the Nintendo Switch version, and the full game costs $64.99.
Is Animal Crossing on PC, PlayStation or Xbox?
No. No Animal Crossing game is listed for PC, PlayStation or Xbox. New Horizons is on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, and Pocket Camp Complete is on iOS and Android.
Can Pocket Camp Complete on a phone play with New Horizons on Switch?
No. Pocket Camp Complete is a separate offline-focused app and is not available for Nintendo Switch. The only link to New Horizons documented by Nintendo is the option to import custom designs.
Can the same New Horizons island be played on two consoles?
No. Nintendo says each console can only hold one island, and a transfer to Nintendo Switch 2 moves the island rather than copying it. Nintendo Switch Online members can use a separate backup service for recovery after console loss or failure.
Sources
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Nintendo US)
- Save Data and Multiplayer Support FAQ (Animal Crossing: New Horizons) – Nintendo UK
- How to Start a Local or Online Multiplayer Game (Animal Crossing: New Horizons) – Nintendo Support
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack (Nintendo AU eShop)
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and free update, Business Wire
- Ahead Of Switch 2's Launch, Animal Crossing: New Horizons Gets First Update In Years – GameSpot
- System transfers to Switch 2 won't erase original Switch save data, except for Animal Crossing – Nintendo Wire
- About Pocket Camp Complete (official FAQ)
More on Animal Crossing
How we check: Explosion verifies crossplay against official developer, publisher and platform sources, listed above, and re-checks every 30 days. Last checked Oct 13, 2026.
Nick Guli
Nick Guli is the founder and editor-in-chief of Explosion.com, which he launched in February 2012. With over a decade of experience in digital publishing, Nick oversees editorial direction across entertainment, gaming, technology, and lifestyle content. He is an avid gamer and movie enthusiast who brings a critical eye to coverage of industry trends, game reviews, and entertainment news.
