How to Play Animal Crossing on PC Without Switch: Easy Guide

Want to know how to play Animal Crossing without a Switch? Try Ryujinx ✅

by Teodor Nechita
Teodor Nechita
Teodor Nechita
Software Managing Editor
Eager to help those in need, Teodor writes articles daily on subjects regarding Windows, Xbox, and all things tech-related. When not working, you may usually find him either... read more
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Alex Serban
Alex Serban
Windows Server & Networking Expert
After moving away from the corporate work-style, Alex has found rewards in a lifestyle of constant analysis, team coordination and pestering his colleagues. Holding an MCSA Windows Server... read more
Affiliate Disclosure
  • Animal Crossing New Horizons is a critically-acclaimed simulation game created for the Nintendo Switch.
  • However, its popularity determined players to find a way to try it on PC as well.
  • If you're wondering how to play Animal Crossing on PC without a Switch, we got just the thing.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
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Those of you that have a Nintendo Switch console back at home have surely heard about, and maybe even bought Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

This life simulation video game lets you manage a community of anthropomorphic animals in real-time, and it has already garnered much praise having sold over 5.000.000 units in its first month since launch.

PC gamers want to play this title as well, so finding a way to make the game work on the Windows platform has become something very sought after.

Can you play Animal Crossing on PC?

Unfortunately, the problem with this much-beloved game is that it is, for the moment, a Nintendo Switch exclusive. The big question remains, though: is Animal Crossing playable on PC?

In other words, can you play Animal Crossing on PC without a switch? While it does not have an official PC-dedicated edition, nor can you play Animal Crossing on browser, you can still find a way to bring it to Windows.

That is precisely why we’ve created the tutorial below so that you can enjoy the latest entry in Animal Crossing New Horizons from the comfort of your PC.

🎯 If you want to play Animal Crossing for PC without Switch, you need to install the Ryujinx emulator on Windows.

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How to play Animal Crossing on PC without a Switch

Note icon NOTE
Before proceeding with the guide below, you will need to already have a copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons installed on a Nintendo Switch console.
  1. Download the OpenAL client here
    • Once the client is downloaded, extract and install it on your PC
  2. Download the Ryujinx from here
  3. Extract it on your PC
  4. Open the newly extracted folder and double-click Ryujinx.exe
    • This will get the emulator running

Now that the Emulator is running, it is time to add Animal crossing to its library:

  1. Press File
  2. Select Open Ryujinx folder
  3. Open the System Folder
  4. Drag and drop the Prod.keys file inside
    • The Prod.keys are copyright files that you need to dump in your PC from within a Nintendo Switch
  5. Close and re-open the emulator
  6. Go to Tools
  7. Select Install Firmware
  8. Choose Install a firmware from an XCI or ZIP
  9. Select any XCI that you had in your Nintendo Switch and click Open
    • You should receive a prompt telling you that you need to install a firmware update
    • Any version is good as long as it is above 5.1.0
  10. Go to Options > Settings
  11. Select your Timezone, System Region and Language

Now you will need to add your Game directory to the emulator:

  1. Select Browse
  2. Navigate to where your Nintendo Switch games have been dumped (backed up)
  3. Click Save, and now all your games should be displayed correctly within your emulator
  4. Close the emulator
  5. Make sure your game controller is connected to your PC
  6. Double-click the Animal Crossing: New Horizons icon to launch the game.

Due to its popularity, the game has managed to find its way to Android emulators as well. Bluestacks is
another option you can use in order to play Animal Crossing New Horizons on PC.

Nevertheless, we advise you to only use this option as a plan B since Bluestacks & Animal Crossing incompatibilities often hinder the experience.

If you wish the explore more emulators for PC – including Nintendo ones, don’t be shy
to take a look at RetroArch as well.

Finally, the game itself is not exempt from errors even when played on a Nintendo Switch, and you
can occasionally stumble across Internet connection issues in Animal Crossing.

By following these steps, you should now be able to play Animal Crossing New Horizons on your PC without any restrictions.

If you liked our guide, let us know by leaving us a message in the comments section below.

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