The free 3.0 update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is coming, and while it will be available on both the original Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2, a little preparation now can make the update feel exciting instead of stressful.
Here are the five most important things to do now before the 3.0 update arrives.
Clear and Organize Your Dock
One of the most noticeable visual changes in the 3.0 update is the arrival of a Resort Hotel on your island’s pier, run by Kapp’n’s family (as noted by Nookipedia).
Before the update goes live, it’s a smart move to tidy up this area:
- Remove any furniture, decorations, or dropped items from your dock. During major updates, Nintendo has a history of automatically clearing obstructed areas. When that happens, items are often sent to the Lost & Found at Resident Services, which can be inconvenient and easy to forget about later.
- Clearing the dock now gives you a clean slate. You’ll be able to see the hotel exactly as Nintendo intended on day one, then decide later how (or if) you want to decorate around it.
Even if Nintendo ends up clearing the space for you, doing it yourself ahead of time minimizes surprises, protects your items, and keeps your island looking neat when the update finally arrives. It’s a small task, but it’s one of the easiest ways to prepare smoothly for 3.0.
Start Stockpiling Bells and Nook Miles
With the 3.0 update comes a wave of new items, collaborations, and shop additions, including themed items available through the hotel’s souvenir shop and Nook Shopping (as highlighted by Leek’s Cosy Corner). Having resources ready ahead of time means you can enjoy the update immediately without needing to grind first.
Bells
Now is the perfect time to boost your bell balance. Many of the new items introduced in 3.0 require bells, not special tokens, and it’s easy to burn through savings quickly once you start shopping.
Stick to your usual money-making routines:
- Play the Stalk Market with turnips if you enjoy big payouts
- Dig up and sell fossils
- Fish and dive for sea creatures
- Take advantage of daily money trees and crafting hot items
A healthy bell reserve gives you freedom. You can browse new shops, grab limited-time items, and experiment with decorating without constantly checking your wallet.
Nook Miles
Even though the trailers haven’t clearly shown how Nook Miles will be used in 3.0, they’re worth saving just in case.
Nintendo often keeps features hidden until launch, and historically, Nook Miles have been tied to upgrades, unlocks, and quality-of-life improvements. Expanded design options, new tools, or creative systems could easily require miles.
Stockpiling them now is a low-effort way to future-proof your island, and avoid being stuck grinding when everyone else is exploring new content.
In short: bells let you buy freely on day one, and Nook Miles keep you flexible if new systems appear. Even a little preparation here makes the first few days of 3.0 feel far more relaxed and enjoyable.
Work Toward a Three-Star Island Rating
If there’s one preparation step that consistently matters in Animal Crossing updates, it’s your island star rating.
In past major updates, most notably version 2.0, many headline features only became available after reaching at least a three-star island. There’s strong reason to believe the same will apply to parts of the 3.0 update, including access to Slumber Islands and possibly the hotel experience itself.
To work toward (or maintain) three stars:
- Decorate thoughtfully with outdoor furniture, fencing, flowers, and trees
- Improve infrastructure by building bridges and inclines
- Keep your island clean—remove weeds, trash, and dropped items
- Advance the main storyline, which still gates major features
Most importantly, make sure you’ve seen K.K. Slider’s concert. This moment traditionally marks your island officially reaching the three-star threshold and often serves as the gateway to late-game content.
If you haven’t hit three stars yet, don’t stress. You have plenty of time, and reaching it ahead of the update ensures you won’t be locked out of new features when 3.0 arrives.
4. Expand Your Catalog for Slumber Islands
One of the standout additions in the 3.0 update is Slumber Islands, a brand-new creative feature that lets you build additional dreamlike islands with near-total freedom.
Slumber Islands allow you to:
- Choose from small, medium, or large island layouts
- Place any item registered in your catalog, without needing it in storage
- Invite friends to build and decorate together
- Customize terrain, bridges, weather, time of day, and even which villagers appear
Because Slumber Islands pull directly from your existing catalog, preparation now can dramatically expand what you’re able to build later.
To prepare:
- Register as many items as possible by buying, crafting, or cataloging items from other players
- Focus on unique furniture sets, plants, seasonal items, and décor
- Fill in gaps you’ve ignored, crafted items count too
The more items you’ve touched, the fewer limitations you’ll face when designing entirely new islands from scratch.nds unlock. The more items you’ve touched, the fewer limitations you’ll run into when designing completely new islands from scratch.
Plan for Amiibo-Based Collaborations
Several upcoming collaborations appear to rely on amiibo scanning, especially if youSeveral upcoming collaborations appear to rely on amiibo scanning, especially if you want specific villagers rather than just furniture.
Based on how past collaborations worked:
- Zelda-themed villagers may require specific Zelda amiibo
- Splatoon villagers may require Splatoon amiibo
- Furniture items often unlock with any amiibo from that series
Nintendo hasn’t confirmed every detail yet, but this mirrors how collaborations functioned in New Leaf.
If you don’t own physical amiibo, many players use NFC chips as an alternative. They’re cheaper, easier to store, and function the same way in-game.
This step is optional, but if you care about guaranteed access to collaboration villagers and items, preparing now can save a lot of frustration later.
Does the Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Matter?
The free 3.0 content is fully playable on the original Nintendo Switch, so upgrading is not required.
That said, Nintendo has highlighted Switch 2 Edition improvements, including visual upgrades, performance enhancements, and new control options. If you’re planning to spend a lot of time in Animal Crossing throughout 2026, it may be worth considering.
If not, you won’t miss out on the core update content, so this decision comes down to personal preference.
