Since its launch in March 2020, the success that Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Nintendo console it can only be described with one word: spectacular. This has precipitated the release of all kinds of versions for other platforms: Steam, PS Store and Xbox... And also Animal Crossing for PC.
The truth is that, although this popular title doesn't need much introduction, we can say for those who don't know that it is a life simulation video game that allows the player to manage a community of animals in real time. A playful proposal that has seduced millions of people around the world.
The first version of Animal Crossing, released exclusively for the Nintendo 64 console, appeared for the first time in 2001. That was the first stone in a long and successful path that would eventually give way to the current generation of 3D games.
However, at present There is no official way to download Animal Crossing for PC. Actually, there is no authorized formula to be able to enjoy exclusive Nintendo games on a computer. So what options do we have?
Animal Crossing emulator for PC
The secret of everything is in the emulators, programs that will allow us to play games on any console. In the case at hand, we are interested in the Nintendo console emulators. Where can you find this kind of software? In principle, each emulator has one or more official web pages from which we will be able to download these programs and install them on our computer. All completely free.
One of the best alternatives that we have to be able to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons from our computer is the emulator Ryujinx Nintendo Switch. These are the steps to follow to do so:
- First we download the OpenAL client from this link.
- After completing the download, you need to perform the file extraction and install it on the PC.
- On the other hand, we must download the ryujinx emulator from this link.
- In the same way, after downloading we extract it and save it on our computer.
- Finally, we open the newly extracted folder and do double click on Ryujinx.exe, for the emulator to run.
It is true that the operation of each emulator is different, but this should not worry us, since all of them are very easy to use and configure.
Requirements of our computer
In order to play Animal Crossing New Horizons smoothly and without performance problems, the ideal is have a gaming PC. That is to say, that it has 16GB of RAM and about 3-6GB of VRAM, in addition to a sixth generation Intel Core i3 processor (or its equivalent in AMD, the Rayzen 3).
As is known, both the RAM and the dedicated graphics cards and the processor required are not exactly cheap. To that, we would also have to add the SSD disks that we are going to need so that the games load quickly. Everything, in short, is an effort to try to repeat as faithfully as possible the gaming experience offered by the Switch console.
If we do not have a computer with these characteristics, it is worth asking if it is worth facing the expense. Maybe it's better to just buy the console.
Where to download the game for PC
Obviously, we will not be able to include in this post the download links and other information on where to download the ROMs or BIOS. It is a legal matter. However, anyone can get what they're looking for with a little Google and using the right search terms.
Why is Animal Crossing so successful?
La spectacular sales figure registered by the latest installment of the Animal Crossing saga is partly explained by having appeared when half the world was confined to their home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that is only part of the explanation.
In fact, all the improvements and news that the game brought with it had already been implemented before the health crisis.
Although in previous installments there were already many options to decorate houses and villages, the possibilities multiply with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The best example is the DIY workshop, where players can make tools, furniture, floors, walls and other objects with the raw materials found on our island or on the islands we visit. In the same sense, we must highlight the possibilities of customization.
In the same way, the development of numerous online communities throughout the world. The many fans of the game from all corners of the planet gather on Discord channels or around youtubers or Twitch streamers, sharing information, exchanging and, ultimately, growing this universe all together.