A useful bug became a feature in Animal Crossing: New Horizon’s latest update

By Don Reisinger Published April 25, 2023

Nintendo added back a bug it removed earlier this month from Animal Crossing: New Horizons after players said they actually wanted it to be part of the game.

The game company quietly added the ability to remove the head-up display (HUD) from Animal Crossing: New Horizons in its latest Version 1.4 Summer Update. When players press the right analog stick down, they’ll be able to remove all on-screen overlays to give them a clear view of the game’s characters and environment.

Earlier this month, Nintendo updated Animal Crossing: New Horizons with a variety of bug fixes, including one that removed the ability to nix the HUD. Soon after, players took to Twitter, Reddit, and Nintendo forums to decry the move and say that it was a useful feature. Many players said they would often remove the HUD when they were using the title’s NookPhone Camera app to take screen captures and record game footage.

Nintendo didn’t acknowledge the bug removal and didn’t respond after the outcry surfaced. In release notes accompanying the update on Thursday, Nintendo only said that it added the feature to the NookPhone Camera app without acknowledging that it previously removed it.

Nintendo has not responded to a Digital Trends request for comment on why it added back the HUD-removal feature.

In addition to the new camera feature, Nintendo’s Version 1.4 Summer Update includes a new seasonal event called Fireworks Show that will allow players to watch in-game fireworks events each Sunday in August. The update also includes new seasonal items in Nook Shopping and the ability to back up game save data to Nintendo’s cloud storage. Players will also find new dream sequences that let them explore the world and visit each other’s islands.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched on the Nintendo Switch in March and quickly became an international success. Digital Trends gaming editor Lisa Marie Segarra reviewed the game in March and awarded it four stars out of five and an Editors’ Choice award.

“New Horizons is packed with delight,” Segarra wrote in the review. “It’s fun, with rare cross-generation appeal.”

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Don Reisinger is a freelance technology, video game, and entertainment journalist. He has been writing about the world of…

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