Ocarina of Time remake release date: November 5, 2026 on Switch 2
The Ocarina of Time remake release date is November 5, 2026, and it is a Nintendo Switch 2 game only. Nintendo's own US store page lists that date, and Gematsu's report from the Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct on September 8 confirms it. No original Switch version has been announced, so anyone planning to play it needs a Switch 2.
The date ended a long stretch of guessing. Nintendo told investors on August 6 that the game was still planned for this year, and VICE reported at the time that the lineup slide had it under late 2026. A July rumour had pointed to November 11, but VICE noted that date came from leaked retailer amiibo listings, and the real date turned out to be six days earlier.
That makes the remake a firm holiday-season release, arriving two weeks from today. The store page also carries a preorder window: digital buyers who purchase before 11:59 p.m. PT on November 23, 2026 receive a digital wallpaper, a small bonus that ties the preorder to the first weeks after launch.
Price and editions: $59.99 digital, $69.99 physical
Nintendo is charging different prices by format. In the US the digital edition is $59.99, and the physical edition is $69.99, a $10 gap that Level Up and Nintendo Everything both reported after the September 8 Direct. Australian pricing leaked a day earlier, when a Nintendo listing showed AU$94.95 digital before it was pulled, and that figure turned out to match the US number once converted.
There is no deluxe tier. The only physical variation is the cover: the first print run uses textured foil art, and Gematsu notes this lasts while supplies last. Later shipments revert to a standard printed cover, so the foil copy is a launch-window collectible rather than a separate edition with extra content.
The Nintendo store page for the digital version lists an estimated download of about 27 GB and warns that size and ratings may not be final at preorder. For Switch 2 owners juggling storage, that is a mid-sized install.
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is also scheduled to be released this year.”
What the remake changes, according to Nintendo
Nintendo's feature list, as relayed by Gematsu, describes a remake that keeps the 1998 story and overhauls the way it looks and plays. The visuals are rebuilt with improved textures, loading is faster and performance is smoother. Cutscenes are fully voiced for the first time, dialogue is expanded and the score is symphonic and orchestral.
The controls are modernised. There are new jump and run button commands and right-stick camera control, which removes two of the biggest friction points for anyone returning to the Nintendo 64 original. A day and night cycle now runs everywhere, including in towns, and a feature called Threads of Time shows story progress, the next objective and a tapestry that fills in as you play.
The ocarina itself gets a Switch 2 twist. Players can play or hum ocarina songs into the console's microphone, and Link then performs them in the game. Wikipedia's summary of the coverage adds that the game keeps the original's story and gameplay while adding faster swimming and motion aiming, though those details are secondary-source summaries and Nintendo has not listed them all in one place.
Zelda 40th anniversary hardware lands a week earlier
Nintendo is stacking hardware around the launch. A Nintendo Switch 2 Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition system arrives on October 29, alongside anniversary Pro Controllers with or without a display stand and a carrying case with a screen protector, all with Triforce designs. That puts the new console a full week before the game it is meant to celebrate.
Accessories continue after launch. HORI has playable and electric ocarinas planned for later in 2026, with the electric model playing notes or full songs at the press of a button. Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo are planned for 2027 and unlock retro-style masks, and Nintendo's store page confirms the game supports amiibo.
Nintendo has not, in the sources we opened, announced a bundle that includes the game with the anniversary console. Treat any listing that combines the two as unconfirmed until Nintendo or a retailer publishes it.
Zelda Notes, the Nintendo Switch App extras
A companion layer called Zelda Notes lives in the Nintendo Switch App. Gematsu lists four features: Today's Record, a chronological log of daily accomplishments and stats such as enemies defeated; Gossip Quest, which asks you to find in-game locations from hint images to earn ocarina music points; Play Ocarina, a touchscreen virtual ocarina with guided play, auto-play and QR-code sharing of custom scores; and an Ocarina of Time Quiz.
The quiz has more than 2,000 questions and gives one free attempt a day, with extra tries purchasable using in-game rupees. Gematsu's description says the rupees are the in-game currency, not a real-money purchase.
None of this is required to finish the game. The store page lists the core experience as single player, playable in TV, tabletop and handheld modes, with HDR and VRR support on compatible TVs and cloud save backup.
Reaction, and the questions still open
The reaction has split on art direction. Wikipedia's roundup of coverage says Polygon described the look as a balance between modern realism and fairy-tale whimsy while calling some character models creepy, and GameSpot's Jade King called the young Link and Zelda uncanny. Eiji Aonuma, per that same summary, has said the visual style was meant to evoke nostalgia for the original. These are second-hand accounts of opinion pieces we did not open in full, so read the originals before quoting them.
Some practical questions remain unanswered in the primary sources. Nintendo's store page does not mention a game-key card, because it lists only the digital edition, and we could not confirm how the physical cartridge is packaged. The final download size and ESRB details may also change before launch, as the page itself warns.
The remake was developed by Nintendo EPD and published by Nintendo, with Eiji Aonuma and Hidemaro Fujibayashi listed as producers, according to Wikipedia's citations of the Direct. If you want to know how it differs from the Nintendo 64 and 3DS versions, our companion explainer covers the versions side by side.
What it means for Switch 2 owners
For Switch 2 owners the decision is simple: November 5 is the date, $59.99 is the digital price, and the bonus wallpaper rewards an early digital purchase. Anyone who prefers a physical copy pays $10 more and gets a launch-window foil cover.
For Nintendo the remake is a holiday anchor for a platform still building its first-party library, timed to the Zelda series' 40th anniversary and backed by hardware, accessories and a companion app. Whether it sells well will be visible in Nintendo's next earnings figures, which is the first hard data on how the remake performs.
We will update this piece if Nintendo changes the date, price or storage figure. Until then, every number above traces to Nintendo's store page or to the September 8 Direct coverage listed in our sources.
Frequently asked
What is the Ocarina of Time remake release date?
The Ocarina of Time remake launches on November 5, 2026, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo's US store page lists that date, and Gematsu confirmed it from the Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct on September 8. No original Switch version has been announced. Digital buyers who purchase before 11:59 p.m. PT on November 23, 2026 receive a digital wallpaper, per the store page. Nintendo told investors on August 6 that the game would release in 2026, and the specific date arrived about a month later in the Direct.
How much does the Ocarina of Time remake cost?
In the US it costs $59.99 for the digital edition and $69.99 for the physical edition, according to Level Up, Gematsu and Nintendo's store page. The first physical print run has textured foil cover art while supplies last, and later shipments use a standard printed cover. An Australian eShop listing that briefly appeared before the Direct showed AU$94.95 for digital, and the physical price in Australia has not been confirmed in the sources we opened. UK pricing was only an expectation in the coverage we read, so check Nintendo's regional store before buying.
Is the Ocarina of Time remake only on Switch 2?
Yes, as announced. Nintendo's store page and Gematsu both list Nintendo Switch 2 as the only platform, and an original Nintendo Switch version has not been announced. The game supports TV, tabletop and handheld modes, HDR and VRR on compatible TVs, amiibo, and cloud save backup, and online play needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership. If Nintendo adds other platforms it would likely say so in a Direct or on its newsroom, so treat any such listing as unconfirmed until then.
How big is the Ocarina of Time remake download?
Nintendo's US store page lists an estimated download of about 27 GB for the digital edition. The page warns that file size and ratings may not be final at preorder, so the number could change before launch. That is far smaller than the largest current console games and should fit on most Switch 2 setups, though players with limited internal storage should check free space before November 5. We could not confirm whether the physical version needs an additional download or how it is packaged.
What is new in the Ocarina of Time remake?
Nintendo lists overhauled visuals with improved textures, faster loading and smoother performance, fully voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue and a symphonic orchestral score. Controls add new jump and run button commands and right-stick camera control. A day and night cycle runs everywhere, including towns, and Threads of Time tracks story progress and the next objective. Players can also play or hum ocarina songs into the Switch 2 microphone. The story and core gameplay are described as staying close to the 1998 original, per Gematsu and Wikipedia's summary.
When does the Zelda 40th anniversary Switch 2 come out?
The Nintendo Switch 2 Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition system launches on October 29, 2026, a week before the game. Gematsu reports it arrives with anniversary Pro Controllers, with or without a display stand, and a carrying case with a screen protector, all with Triforce designs. We did not confirm a bundle that includes the Ocarina of Time remake, and retailer price roundups we saw vary by region, so check Nintendo's store for the current price in your country.