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How to pre-load Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Start pre-loading the game right now
This article is over 4 years old and may contain outdated information

Eager fans of Animal Crossing: New Horizons have the option to pre-order their copy of the game right now from their preferred retailer. After they do that, they have the chance to reserve the space in their Nintendo Switch to have the game ready to go when it launches on March 20. To pre-load the game, all you need to do beforehand is to have the game pre-ordered.

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When you’re ready to start pre-loading Animal Cross: New Horizons and you pre-ordered your copy, all you need to do is power up your Switch and proceed to the eShop and locate the game in the catalog. Input your pre-order information after you’ve found it, and you should have the option to start downloading the game, which should require 6.2 GB of data. 

The game becomes available on March 20; however, the exact timing for timezones does vary. For those in the UK, it should unlock immediately at midnight, and for those on the east coast of the United States, it should also unlock at midnight. But, those on the west coast of the United States will have access to it at 9pm on March 19. It’s a little bit earlier, and those on the west coast have the chance to not miss too much sleep to chalk up a few hours in the game.

You have several options for pre-ordering the game, and if you want to make sure you can start playing it when it immediately becomes available, purchasing it digitally is your best option. Make sure you have that 6.2 GB free before beginning the download.


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Author
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Zack Palm
Zack Palm is the Senior Writer of Gamepur and has spent over five years covering video games, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Oregon State University. He spends his free time biking, running tabletop campaigns, and listening to heavy metal. His primary game beats are Pokémon Go, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and any newly released title, and he finds it difficult to pull away from any Star Wars game.