Nintendo will release the next big update to Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Thursday 30 July and it adds a much-requested feature: island backup.

The Animal Crossing summer update vol. 2 includes the long-awaited ability to backup your island to the cloud and restore it again should you lose or damage your Switch, or have it stolen.

This doesn't mean you can play the same island across different Switch devices, but should the worst happen you will be able to download your progress to a new console. You will need Nintendo Switch Online membership to backup the island to the cloud, and have the mode switched on.

Nintendo is yet to also add the ability to move user and save data to a new system, but said that is still planned for later this year. You can find out more on Nintendo's customer support website.

As well as island backup, the new update adds fireworks shows which will take place in the game every Sunday night during August, starting at 7pm locally.

And, dreaming comes to Animal Crossing. Players can take a nap on a bed in their home and could end up in a strange realm where they will meet Luna.

She will offer the opportunity to visit other islands as a dream. Players who want to take part can share Dream Addresses for their islands and, where it differs from usual visits is that anything done to another island when dreaming is not permanent.

This latest update will be followed by an autumn update later this year,