The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launches on Switch 2

This is a new development in a story we reported earlier: Nintendo reveals Switch 2 Ocarina integration in Ocarina of Time remake trailer.

Nintendo brought The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake to the Switch 2 on November 5, 2026, with the game unlocking at midnight Eastern time.

The rollout uses a local midnight schedule instead of a simultaneous global unlock, so some places on the western coast of North America gained access on November 4, 2026. The game launched at physical and digital storefronts alongside a new trailer showing Link’s journey spanning two eras in Hyrule. Nintendo markets the rebuilt Nintendo 64 classic as the highlight of the Zelda series’ 40th anniversary, with a special edition Switch 2 console as its companion.

The remake delivers overhauled visuals, fully voiced cutscenes, expanded character dialogue and symphonic orchestral music, plus reworked camera and movement controls, with Nintendo’s October 14 overview trailer post promising the orchestral music to complement the new voice performances. IGN Middle East confirmed the English voice cast, with Matthew Mercer returning as Ganondorf, Erica Mendez playing Zelda and Lisa Reimold voicing Navi. The full cast also includes Richard Epcar as the Great Deku Tree, Suzie Yeung as Saria, Frank Todaro as Kaepora Gaebora and Rauru, Laura Post as Impa, Josh Petersdorf as Darunia, Anne Yatco as Ruto, Deva Marie Gregory as Deku Tree Sprout, Cristina Vee as Nabooru, Reba Buhr as Koume, Kotake and Twinrova, with voice support from Daniel Bushey, Rachel Seeley, Danny Hunt and Haley Hanna Hunt. The 1998 Nintendo 64 original had no spoken dialogue, but the remake voices every cutscene while Link stays silent, consistent with every Zelda game.

The Switch 2’s built-in microphone lets players hum or play a learned ocarina melody, with Link performing the song in the game while the title responds to real instruments. Nintendo explains that the learned tunes serve functional purposes, opening new paths forward and turning day to night while adventuring in Hyrule. The feature is optional, since button inputs still work, and motion aiming for ranged weapons such as the Fairy Bow and Hookshot is optional, with players able to switch between button and gyro controls in the Options menu. The remake layers in manual jumping, sprinting across Hyrule, free camera controls, expanded environments and quick-swapping between items.

Threads of Time is a new narrative and objective tracker that charts how far the player has got through the adventure and helps newcomers follow the main story. Each defeated monster earns a statue in a dedicated hall where players can learn about it or face it again, though Nintendo’s October 14 post called the space Hall of Fallen Heroes while the store listing uses Hall of Fallen Foes. The story stays true to the original, with Link departing Kokiri Forest to defeat Ganondorf and rescue the Kingdom of Hyrule, and players can now explore major sections of Hyrule Castle Town, an area that served only as a backdrop in the 1998 original. Loading screens and the lack of fast-travel points remain from the original, but the Ocarina still lets players warp to major dungeon locations including the Temple of Time.

In the United States, Nintendo’s store page lists the rebuilt Nintendo 64 classic at $59.99, with a retailer in the United Arab Emirates listing it at AED 289 and a console bundle also available in the region. IGN Middle East confirmed the remake launched on November 5, 2026, in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt on the same date as the global release, exclusive to Switch 2, though separate pricing for Saudi Arabia and Egypt was not confirmed. Preloads for the remake began on October 29, and the game takes up 24.5 GB of storage on the Switch 2, though the Nintendo store page estimates a 27 GB download. The title is playable in TV, tabletop and handheld modes, with HDR (high dynamic range) and VRR (variable refresh rate) output on compatible televisions.

CNET’s reviewer deemed the remake the best-looking game on the Switch 2 yet and described it as the first Zelda title made for the new hardware. The reviewer spent more than a week playing the remake at home and said it replaced memories of the original after a one-hour trial weeks earlier, contrasting it with the Nintendo 64 version accessible through Switch Online, which the reviewer called minimal and awkward by comparison. The reviewer also pointed out that the method Link uses to get the first sword early in Kokiri Forest differs from the 1998 original.

Nintendo’s official store listing markets the remake as a great entry point into the Zelda series for both newcomers and veterans, with updated controls and camera movements welcoming to players who have never played a Zelda game before. “Jump and dash through the action with enhanced controls and modern camera movements, making this a great entry point into this legendary series,” the listing says. Buyers who buy the game digitally before November 23 at 11:59pm PT receive a 40th anniversary wallpaper, and the store page also showcases hidden fairy lore around Hyrule along with fresh and extended character dialogue across the kingdom.

Zelda Notes operates as a game-specific service within the Nintendo Switch App for compatible smart devices, letting players track progress, create and share melodies, and answer daily quiz questions. The daily quiz contains over 2,000 total questions. The app also provides location hunts based on images and an ocarina that players can play on a compatible smart device.

Nintendo’s store page lists the Electric Ocarina of Time accessory at $49.99, and Amiibo figures of Young Link and Young Zelda will arrive in 2027 and will grant retro-style in-game masks, while other Legend of Zelda figures offer items at launch. In a separate development, Walmart canceled last-minute pre-orders for the $519 special edition Switch 2 and offered affected US buyers 48 hours to place a new order, according to Kotaku.