How To Play Animal Crossing: New Horizons on PC? [Emulator]

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was one of the most surprising hit games to come out on the Nintendo Switch console. However, the game is still capped at 30 FPS and 1080p resolution even when docked. Fortunately, there is a way to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons on PC at 4K 60 FPS with mods, thanks to Yuzu and Ryujinx emulators.

Playing the game on PC not only increases the resolution and framerate but also gives players access to multiple mods. These mods can make the gameplay more fun and customizable, which adds another element to an already feature-rich game.

Gamers can technically run the game on any Nintendo Switch emulator like Yuzu and Ryujinx. However, the installation process for both emulators is a bit different, and users will also need the latest Nintendo Switch firmware file for the Ryujinx emulator.

That’s why we have put together a guide on how to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons on PC using Ryujinx and Yuzu emulators. Players can also check out our other guides on how to play Sonic Frontiers and Legend of Zelda: BOTW on PC.

Pre-requisites

Make sure the following files and software are installed on your PC to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons via the Yuzu or Ryujinx emulator.

• High to mid-spec gaming PC
• Yuzu or Ryujinx emulator
• Latest Nintendo Switch prod keys
• Latest Nintendo Switch firmware file (for Ryujinx)
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons in XCI or NSP file format
• Controller (Recommended)

Users can download the XCI, NSP, prod keys, and firmware files from specific sites. However, we do not recommend them as these sites may come under piracy. The only legal way to get these files is to port them to a PC through a modded Nintendo Switch. 

Disclaimer: Fossbytes does not support piracy and advises users not to break copyright laws. This article is only for educational purposes.

Play Animal Crossing: New Horizons on PC [Yuzu Emulator]

1. Download and install the latest version of the Yuzu Emulator.

2. Open Yuzu and select Files > Open Yuzu Folder > keys.

3. Paste the prod.keys and title.keys files into the keys folder.

4. Open Yuzu and select Add New Game Directory.

5. Locate and select the folder for the Animal Crossing: New Horizons XCI/NSP file to add the game to the Yuzu emulator.

6. Click on the Animal Crossing: New Horizons icon to play it on your PC.

Gamers can also check out our other guides on how to play Bayonetta 3 and Super Mario Odyssey on PC.

Play Animal Crossing: New Horizons on PC [Ryujinx Emulator]

1. Download and install the latest version of the Ryujinx emulator.

2. Open Ryujinx and select Files > Open Ryujinx Folder > system.

3. Paste the prod.keys and title.keys files in the systems folder.

4. Go to Tools> Install Firmware > Install a firmware from XCI or ZIP.

5. Select the Nintendo Switch firmware file you downloaded.

6. Click yes to install the Nintendo Switch firmware file.

7. Go to Options > Settings. Under Game Directories, select Add.

8. Locate and select the folder containing Animal Crossing: New Horizons XCI or NSP file to add the game to the Ryujinx emulator. Make sure to press Save to apply these settings.

9. Click on the Animal Crossing: New Horizons icon to play it on your PC.

How to install Mods for Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Users can follow the steps given below to install mods for Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Yuzu emulator. Ryujinx also has a similar mod system but doesn’t have an official Switch mod directory, unlike Yuzu.

1. Download the mod you want to use from here.

2. Open Yuzu and right-click on the game.

3. Select Open Mod Data Location, and a mod folder will open.

4. Move the mod file to this folder, and you are done.

To play Animal Crossing: New Horizons on PC at 60 FPS, users will need to download a 60FPS mod and disable VSync. Let us know your thoughts about Animal Crossing: New Horizons in the comment section below.