Animal Crossing Gets Surprise Free PlayStation Release

Animal Crossing has just received a surprise free release on PlayStation, available to anyone who owns the game.

A few weeks ago, we reported on the native PC port for the original GameCube version of Animal Crossing which was released following its successful decompilation.

It seems that the team behind the PC port isn’t stopping there, however, intending to bring the game to as many platforms as possible.

And that means that next up we have the PlayStation Vita, Sony’s charming handheld system that was originally released in 2011.

As shared by Video Game Esoterica, the PlayStation Vita now has a port of Animal Crossing running natively on the system, as opposed to using emulation to run the game.

Nintendo / Video Game Esoterica

The reason for why this is actually the better route to go is down to the PlayStation Vita hardware, which struggles to emulate Nintendo GameCube games well.

By running the game natively, you’re able to squeeze more juice out of the system without compromising on performance or visuals. As a result, the game looks incredible crisp and clear, and further tweaks can be made to suit the platform.

Animal Crossing runs at full speed on the Vita’s hardware, with correct audio and responsive controls. It’s also presented in a 16:9 resolution, a big improvement over the 4:3 aspect ratio that the original game had, with no stretched screen elements or wasted space.

Animal Crossing On PlayStation Vita Requires A Hacked Console And A Copy Of The Original Game

If you’re interested in checking out the PlayStation Vita port of Animal Crossing, there are a few caveats to be aware of.

For starters, you’ll need a hacked PlayStation Vita to be able to run it, and then a copy of the Animal Crossing PC port from GitHub.

Additionally, and this is very important, you’ll also need to dump the files of your original GameCube copy of Animal Crossing onto your computer and create your own ROM from it.

That last step is important, because it’s the only way for you to legally acquire the in-game assets and be able to load up the game.

While Nintendo remains very secretive about the next Animal Crossing game, it’s got two alternatives for you available to play on the Nintendo Switch 2. Pokémon Pokopia released last month, while Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream will be coming out next week.

Read Next: 17 Cosy Animal Crossing Alternatives You Need to Play