Stardew Valley Surprise-Drops on Nintendo Switch 2 This Christmas

Stardew Valley has officially launched on the Nintendo Switch 2, with developer ConcernedApe shadow-dropping the game on Christmas Day for $14.99.

The beloved farming simulator made its way to Nintendo's latest console without any prior warning, giving players an unexpected holiday gift. Those who already own the original Switch version won't need to pay full price either—a free upgrade pack is available for existing owners through the Nintendo eShop.

The Switch 2 version comes packed with some genuinely useful features that take advantage of the new console's capabilities. For starters, players can now use intuitive mouse controls using the new Joy-Con 2 controllers. The multiplayer experience has also received a significant boost, supporting up to 8 players online compared to four in the original, enabling larger cooperative farms.

Local co-op hasn't been forgotten either. The game now supports four-player split-screen multiplayer, an upgrade from the original Switch version’s two-player limit. There's even a neat GameShare feature that lets four friends play together when only one person owns the game.

While the game’s pixel-art style doesn’t see significant graphical upgrades, it benefits from higher resolution (likely 1080p in handheld mode vs. 720p on the original Switch) and potentially smoother frame rates due to the Switch 2’s improved hardware.

The game requires 2.3 GB of storage space, slightly more than the original Switch version’s 1.6 GB, reflecting the added features. Save data from the original Switch version remains fully compatible after applying a small 3 MB upgrade patch.

While the Switch 2 edition doesn’t introduce new storylines or major gameplay changes beyond these improvements, the upcoming 1.7 update (in development for all platforms) will add fresh content, including a new farm type and expanded character/social features.

Since its debut in 2016, Stardew Valley has become one of the most celebrated indie titles ever, selling over 41 million copies worldwide as of late 2024. In July, it achieved a historic milestone by surpassing Portal 2’s 14-year record to become the highest-rated game on Steam.