With so many people playing the new Animal Crossing, some are just happy to play alone or share with friends via photos on social media. But what about those who really want to play together? Do you need Nintendo Online for friends to visit you?
The short answer is yes, and the long answer sometimes is. It doesn't matter if you are the one traveling or staying, if you want to invite a friend or go to the island of a friend who lives far away. Either way, you will need to purchase a Nintendo Online membership.
That said, when you enter the airport and select the option to allow visitors to your island, there are two options: online play, which we discussed above, and local play.
What is local play?
There are two types of local games.
You don't need a Nintendo Online for local multiplayer, and if you live with a family or roommates who also play, you can just play with them. All of these features work the same as playing online, you just need to be physically close to whoever you are playing with.
You can visit each other's islands and even define yourself
as "best friends" so you can make changes to each island and content.
The other type is single-system multiplayer, where you can invite other profiles on your Switch to come to the island at the same time so that you can play together on the same screen.
Note that this is not a split screen, so there will be a leader who decides where to go, but anyone can play.
So all in all, whether it's inviting a friend or leaving for a
the island of friends, if they are far away you need a subscription. If they are close
you play without having to subscribe.
