Unchangeable Features | ACNH - Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)

There are certain elements that cannot be changed in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH), like your character's name and birthday. You also can't change hemisphere or the location of Resident Services. For more information about unchangeable features, please read on!

List of Unchangeable Features

You Cannot Change Your Name

You can't change your name once you set it.

You Cannot Change Your Birthday

You can't change your character's birthday once you set it. Since birthdays are celebrated in-game, you may want to set it to your actual birthday.

You Can Only Choose Your Hemisphere Once

One of the first choices you have to make is which hemisphere you will live in. You can't change this later on in the game.

This affects a variety of factors in the game, such as the appearance of seasons and what times of year Bugs and Fish appear in, so choose carefully!

Which Hemisphere Should You Choose?

You Cannot Move Resident Services

Resident Services is the facility where you can sell items at the beginning of the game, and also where you pay back your loan to Tom Nook.

Although you can move placed facilities, such as the Museum and Nook's Cranny, you can't change the Resident Services' location from its initial position.

When you choose an Island at the start of the game, the choices will show the location of Resident Services as well, so make sure to choose an island with a good placement.

How to Choose the Best Island Layout

You Cannot Change the Airport's Position and Color

Make sure to check the map when choosing the island's shape as the position where the airport is placed is visible at the start of the game. This position is permanently fixed.

In addition, the Airport's color is randomly determined from the following options.

If you'd like your airport to match your island's ideal color scheme, it's worth restarting your game to get your favorite color for the airport.

Your Starting Fruit

Your island's starting fruit naturally growing on your island is another unchangeable feature and there's no option that lets you change it at the start of the game.

Since non-native fruit sells for a higher price, we recommend getting different fruits from your friends. That way, you can visit and trade fruit with each other, and sell your native fruits at each other's island for a higher selling price!

How to Get All Fruits

You Cannot Change Your Island's Name

You can't change the name of your island once you set it during the introductory part of the game. Make sure to choose something that you and your friends will find funny, like one of our side-splitting puns!

Our Favorite Island Names

You Cannot Change River Mouths and Beach Shapes

Although you can eventually change the shape of your island's rivers and cliffs, you can't change the position of the river mouths and beaches.

Make sure you choose your ideal layout when choosing an island at the start of the game!

List of Changeable Features

Houses and Facilities

Although it will cost a sizeable chunk of cash, it's possible to change the locations of any building which you previously placed.

This includes both yours and other Villagers' houses, as well as all Facilities other than Resident Services and the Airport.

What You Can Do After Upgrading Resident Services

Costs to Move Houses and Facilities

Your Face and Hairstyle Can Be Changed with the Right Item

For the first time in any game in the series, New Horizons allows you to use a Dresser Item to change your character's face freely, even after the game has started.

Since you can customize your character as you go, feel free to mess around with your face and find the one you like best!

How to Change Your Face and Hair

You Can Change Your Island's Shape

Through a new feature called Island Designer, you can make paths as you please and even build new rivers or cliffs.

However, this feature is unlocked very late in the game, meaning that you shouldn't count on reshaping your island right away.

How to Use the Island Designer App

List of Unchangeable Features in Past Titles

All Grass is Triangular

Grass paths are always triangular!

In previous games in the series, the grass had a triangular or circular pattern depending on the island, which was set permanently at the start of the game and could not be reversed without restarting the save file.

In New Horizons, however, the grass on all islands in triangular. There's no reason to try resetting your game to get a different grass pattern.

Piles of Snow Change Grass Shape to Round

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When enough snow has covered the grass, you will see the grass as patterns of round shapes on the snow.

Related Guides

All Tips & Tricks

Beginner Guides

Beginner Guides
Beginner's Guide to Animal Crossing New Horizons	Unchangeable Features
Which Hemisphere Should You Choose?	Best Island Layouts
What Should You Choose to Bring to the Island?	Island Names
Best House and Tent Location	How to Cross Rivers and Waters
How to Get Furniture and Materials for House Kits	How to Climb Cliffs
What is the Bulletin Board?	How to Get Pocket Camp Items
How to Get Nook Points