Workaround to get multiple towns on a single Switch

[lars708]

Those who want a second town in Animal Crossing: New Horizons may have already found out about an issue with how the Switch handles saves. The save files for software are stored on the system itself, meaning that having two copies of the game won't get you a second town and instead the games will read from the same save. It's also been confirmed that using another user account with the same game will still just make the game read from the same save file.

See this thread for more information on that: https://www.belltreeforums.com/showthread.php?468014-You-ll-have-to-buy-another-Switch-to-have-a-second-island-confirmed

There is a workaround however! The Switch will recognize the same game but from different regions as two different games! This means that you can have two save files of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. For most people here it'd mean that you'll have to get both an American copy and an European copy of the game. That way you can have two towns without having to buy a second Switch console.

For Europeans it's important to remember that our games are available in many languages and the American versions often only contain English, French and Spanish options. If you play in say, Italian, you have no choice but to play in English (or Spanish or French) if you get the American copy for your second town. For American players worry not, the European version is also being sold in the UK so you can just play your European copy in (British) English.

Remember that you don't have to buy the game from the other region physically, you can always make a foreign Nintendo Account and buy the game from the Nintendo eShop.

It might also be a bit weird when you use the same profile to play online with due to how Nintendo Switch Online works. I own the European and Japanese versions of Puyo Puyo Champions and while the save file is seperate (achievements and stuff), my ranking and league standing carried over because it's online and thus tied to my NSO subscription and Nintendo Account. So this may mean that you'll have to buy a seperate subscription to go along with it.

Before actually pre-ordering the game from multiple regions I'd recommend waiting until absolute confirmation, but it has worked like this with other games on the Switch so far.

I will probably try this out myself when it's out as I know someone who orders Japanese copies of games so I have an easy way to test this.

I'll edit this post as we get more information, I feel like this is pretty important to a lot of people.

EDIT 1:
People have pointed out to me that Splatoon 2 for example is one of the games that acts as different games for each region. This is likely because of exclusive gear and the regional Splatfests. This may indicate that Animal Crossing: New Horizons will also work like that since Animal Crossing features regional holidays. Again, no confirmation but it's looking good so far.

 

[Alolan_Apples]

That’s pretty cool. Thanks for the info. Not only that, but it may also be an easy way to get region-exclusive items (if that’s still such a thing).

 

[Paperboy012305]

Yeah, I don't know if this works. But we'll have to wait. I want to create a cycling town so I can make some good TBT, and do it real good knowing that its done on an entirely new game on the series.

 

[Pellie]

Didn't thought of this yet, sounds like a idea that could maybe work. Guess we have to wait and see
if this could be the perfect solution for that problem.

 

[Boccages]

Yeah, I don't know if this works. But we'll have to wait. I want to create a cycling town so I can make some good TBT, and do it real good knowing that its done on an entirely new game on the series.

We don't even know yet how villagers will come/get invited into the island. So we don't know if cycling will still be a thing...

 

[Valerie]

So you can use the same user profile to play both the Japanese and Euro carts?

I thought the Switch wasn’t region blocked- and figured that having more than one cart- no matter the region would read the same.

 

[Stevey Queen]

This may be a dumb question but does EU version have English options? Because you confused with the language settings in your post.

 

[lars708]

This may be a dumb question but does EU version have English options? Because you confused with the language settings in your post.

Yeah it does, I kind of assumed that people would know that the UK is part of Europe. I understand the confusion and I'll edit the post later when I'm not on my phone lol

Edit: nvm I did it right away to avoid further confusion

 

[jim]

There is a workaround however! The Switch will recognize the same game but from different regions as two different games!

while this is true, it is not ALWAYS true and varies from game to game.

i brought this up in a previous post of mine, but splatoon 2 is one such switch game where different regions get counted as different games by the same switch. even if you play a japanese game with a north american profile they are considered separate by the system whether you use the physical cart or the download software version of the game.

i buy a lot of japanese games via the switch. sometimes when you buy a game available in both regions the game will default to whatever language is set as your switch's default language. sometimes you can change this manually in-game and sometimes you can't. it's really a toss up because of the switch's ability to play games from other regions unfettered.

however, one good rule of thumb is to view the (japanese) eShop page for a title. if there is only japanese listed as an available language for a title that will be available in other languages in a different region, then there's a really good chance that each at the very least JP version of the game will be differentiated from NA/PAL region games. hence multiple save files being possible as you'll have multiple copies of the same game.

the downside is having to pay for a second game. i'm keeping my eye out for the japanese eShop page of ACNH to come out (usually available in the coming soon section a few months before release) which will hopefully confirm supported langauges.

still... i have high hopes that this will be the case for new horizons since traditionally the different regions of animal crossing often have different localizations and regional exclusives that warrant regional differences in the first place. i'll probably order a japanese copy of the game myself!

 

[satine]

I have a question that's semi-relevant. I am American so I do not have much knowledge of the European versions... However. Is it possible to find a version of this game in Russian in the future? I am not sure if they make that version but I speak both and want to practice my Russian by playing it in that language if at all possible. I would definitely buy that version (even if it had to be through someone else) as my second copy, because I'm way too used to having multiple towns to not try this method!

 

[lars708]

I have a question that's semi-relevant. I am American so I do not have much knowledge of the European versions... However. Is it possible to find a version of this game in Russian in the future? I am not sure if they make that version but I speak both and want to practice my Russian by playing it in that language if at all possible. I would definitely buy that version (even if it had to be through someone else) as my second copy, because I'm way too used to having multiple towns to not try this method!

Many Nintendo games are being translated to Russian nowadays. But I don't think there has been any word on it yet, I know that amiibo Festival was in Dutch and Russian so there is a very good chance.

We'll just have to wait for confirmation on that though.

 

[Warrior]

This is not always the case, and I think only some games do this. I know splatoon 2 for sure differentiates by region, but if I change my region to japan, my botw copy is seen as a japanese copy. If I buy a digital game on the na eshop, then log into the jp eshop, plenty of games will come up as 'already purchased'. This isn't to mention the hurdles with changing region. If your eshop has any currency on it, you cannot change region. But getting the eshop game code downloads is not always possible. It seems siginificantly difficult to buy games off the japanese eshop for example. You can't use a non japanese credit card or paypal, and its difficult to get game cards. If you want to buy the digital game on amazon, you seem to have to be a Japanese resident. There's a lot of hurdles.

 

[lars708]

This is not always the case, and I think only some games do this. I know splatoon 2 for sure differentiates by region, but if I change my region to japan, my botw copy is seen as a japanese copy. If I buy a digital game on the na eshop, then log into the jp eshop, plenty of games will come up as 'already purchased'. This isn't to mention the hurdles with changing region. If your eshop has any currency on it, you cannot change region. But getting the eshop game code downloads is not always possible. It seems siginificantly difficult to buy games off the japanese eshop for example. You can't use a non japanese credit card or paypal, and its difficult to get game cards. If you want to buy the digital game on amazon, you seem to have to be a Japanese resident. There's a lot of hurdles.

Yeah you're right but since Animal Crossing has regional content I am hopeful that it will work like Splatoon 2 for example.

There are easy ways to purchase from the Japanese eShop. I used eShop cards bought from an online retailer and it worked just fine.

 

[LambdaDelta]

this is for games from different regions, right? not profiles?

also, would it work if buying one regional game digitally and the other physically?

 

[lars708]

this is for games from different regions, right? not profiles?

also, would it work if buying one regional game digitally and the other physically?

Yes games from different regions. It works either physically or digitally as long as they're from different regions.

Using different profiles with the same game won't give you a new town which is why you need a game from another region

But please for details read the entire thread cause I'm not typing it all out again

 

[Chouchou]

I 100% believe this will not work. Animal Crossing is kinda made to connect with other people from different regions so they must have thought about this in the process of making it. Why can't y'all not just enjoy 1 town fully without making it a big capital, time travel game.

 

[Fenix]

I 100% believe this will not work. Animal Crossing is kinda made to connect with other people from different regions so they must have thought about this in the process of making it. Why can't y'all not just enjoy 1 town fully without making it a big capital, time travel game.

I have no problem with having just one town. I'd just like to have one town for me alone, without having to share it with my boyfriend (since we share the switch). We could previously do this just buying a second copy of the game. Now it seems we have to buy another switch.

 

[Chouchou]

I have no problem with having just one town. I'd just like to have one town for me alone, without having to share it with my boyfriend (since we share the switch). We could previously do this just buying a second copy of the game. Now it seems we have to buy another switch.

Yeah ok that's a valid point! I didn't think about that because I don't share my Switch with anyone.
My point was more directed to people in the same situation like me (like for example, having 5 New Leaf towns on your own).. I guess everyone should do theire thing but yeah.. Oh well.

 

[lars708]

I 100% believe this will not work. Animal Crossing is kinda made to connect with other people from different regions so they must have thought about this in the process of making it. Why can't y'all not just enjoy 1 town fully without making it a big capital, time travel game.

I personally have no interest in having multiple towns. For context, I spent 3000 hours on New Leaf on a single town, never even felt the need to reset. I don't think I could handle a second town lol...

I've just seen concerns about this from other people and someone suggested this idea to me earlier. I just thought that people would appreciate it if I shared it!

But the reason it may work is not necessarily because you won't be able to connect with other people but because regions have different holidays and stuff. In New Leaf you were able to enjoy that content if you could visit your foreign friends regardless of which version you had but the holidays wouldn't come up in your own town. Which is why I personally think that this method has a relatively high chance of working.