Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Hits Switch 2 Nov. 5: Price, New Features and What’s Changed

The Zelda Ocarina of Time remake arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on Thursday, Nov. 5, at $59.99 for the digital version and $69.99 for a physical copy. It is a ground-up remake of the 1998 Nintendo 64 classic, the first 3D Zelda game, and the first Zelda release exclusive to Switch 2, according to The Verge.

Nintendo dated the game during its Legend of Zelda 40th anniversary Direct in September. Here is what is new, what it costs and what else is coming for Zelda fans.

Release date, price and editions

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches Nov. 5 on Nintendo Switch 2 only. The digital edition costs $59.99 and the physical edition $69.99, a $10 difference, according to Nintendo. The first print run of the physical version comes in special packaging with textured foil cover art, available while supplies last, Gematsu reported. The game is available to preorder from the Nintendo Store and the Nintendo eShop.

Nintendo’s store listing says the game supports TV, tabletop and handheld play modes, and the download takes about 27 GB, so players with the base console’s storage may want to check free space before launch day. Buyers who choose the physical edition still pay $10 more than the download, about 17% extra, in exchange for the cartridge and, while supplies last, the foil cover.

The launch lands one week after the Nintendo Switch 2 Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition system, which went on sale Oct. 29 alongside anniversary versions of the Switch 2 Pro Controller and a carrying case, all featuring a Triforce design. The Verge noted that Ocarina of Time is one of only a few big-budget games releasing in the same month as Grand Theft Auto VI.

What’s new in the Ocarina of Time remake

Longtime Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma described the project as “a faithful interpretation using modern technologies,” The Verge reported. Nintendo’s list of changes includes:

• Rebuilt visuals and sound: overhauled graphics down to the textures of each material, faster load times, smoother performance and symphonic orchestral music.
• A jump button and free camera: Link can now jump and run freely with new button commands, and players can steer the camera with the right stick.
• Voiced cutscenes: characters Link meets are fully voiced in expanded cutscenes and have more dialogue.
• A living Hyrule: the day and night cycle now continues everywhere, including in towns.
• Threads of Time: a progress tracker that shows how far you have come and your next objective, while a large tapestry fills in as the story advances.
• Hum the songs: players can hum a melody Link has learned into the Switch 2’s built-in microphone and he will play it on his ocarina in the game.

Ocarinas, amiibo and app features

Nintendo also plans two real ocarinas later this year that work with the game: a playable version and an electric model from accessory maker HORI that plays notes or whole songs at the press of a button, according to Gematsu. New amiibo figures of Young Link and Young Zelda follow in 2027 and unlock in-game masks with a retro graphical style.

The ZELDA NOTES section of the Nintendo Switch App is adding Ocarina of Time support, including a daily record of your accomplishments, a hint-image location game called Gossip Quest, a virtual ocarina and a quiz with more than 2,000 questions that can be taken once a day.

Our take: who it is for

For players who grew up with the Nintendo 64 version, the remake changes the parts of the original that have aged worst, especially the camera and the lack of a jump button, while Nintendo pitches it as a faithful version of the original adventure. For newer players, it is a chance to play the game that set the template for 3D action adventures at a full-price, current-generation level of polish. The trade-off is hardware: you need a Switch 2, since there is no version for the original Switch.

Fans waiting for more Zelda will also get the live-action movie, titled simply The Legend of Zelda, in theaters April 30, 2027, according to The Verge.

For more on Nintendo and gaming, see our story on Shigeru Miyamoto, AI and Japan’s Order of Culture, our coverage of Google DeepMind’s Genie 4 world model, and entertainment news such as the new Alien movie from Aaron Guzikowski and Ridley Scott.

Sources

• The Verge: Nintendo’s Ocarina of Time remake launches in November
• Gematsu: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launches Nov. 5
• Nintendo Store: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time