The Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launched Nov. 5 on Switch 2. Here’s the $59.99/$69.99 price, new features, voice cast, 96 Metacritic score and what to do if Amazon delayed your copy.
The Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launched Nov. 5 on Switch 2. Here’s the $59.99/$69.99 price, new features, voice cast, 96 Metacritic score and what to do if Amazon delayed your copy.
Stacey
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is out now exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo unlocked the game worldwide on November 5, 2026, as part of the series’ 40th anniversary, and midnight launch queues at GameStops, Best Buys and UK retailers showed how much demand is still there for a physical cart of a classic. Digital copies cost $59.99; physical is $69.99. Early critic scores put it at 96 on Metacritic, the highest-rated game of 2026 so far. Here’s the launch-day rundown: price and editions, what’s actually new, who voices the cast, how big the download is, and what to do if your Amazon pre-order slipped.
The remake launched on Wednesday, November 5, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2 only. There is no Switch 1, PlayStation, Xbox or PC version. According to The Verge, the remake arrives 28 years after the Nintendo 64 original and sits ahead of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto VI in the fall calendar. If you are also tracking that rival launch window, we already broke down when the GTA 6 pre-load starts and how big the file is.
Nintendo also shipped Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 hardware and a Triforce-themed Switch 2 Pro Controller on October 29, a week before the game. First-print physical copies include textured foil cover art while supplies last.
Nintendo’s store and reporting from Gematsu list the digital version at $59.99 and the physical version at $69.99. The U.S. eShop still shows an estimated download around 27 GB, while European storefronts have listed a tighter figure near 24.5 GB after the build finalized. Leave at least 27 GB free before you start the install so you are covered either way.
Later this year Nintendo plans a playable ocarina accessory and an electric HORI ocarina that can trigger in-game melodies. New Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo, due in 2027, will unlock retro-style masks inside the remake. Those are optional extras, not day-one requirements.
This is a full remake, not a simple HD upscale. Nintendo EPD led development with support from partners including Monolith Soft. Confirmed changes include:
The story, dungeons and time-travel structure stay faithful to the 1998 adventure. Reviewers note some dungeon routing feels cleaner than the N64 original (the Water Temple is the frequent example), but the core puzzles and exploration loop remain intact.
The remake’s English cast was published ahead of launch by outlets including Nintendo Wire. Notable names:
For players who grew up with Navi’s text boxes and Link’s yelps, hearing full conversations in Kokiri Forest and Hyrule Castle is the biggest tonal shift.
By launch eve the remake sat at 96 on Metacritic across dozens of reviews, with every counted score marked positive. That makes it the highest-rated game of 2026 so far, ahead of other strong releases this year, though it still trails the N64 original’s legendary 99. GamesRadar+ and TheGamer both awarded perfect scores; IGN called it an “exceptional remake of an incredible game.” The Guardian’s five-star review said Nintendo had turned “one of the best games of the 1990s into one of the best games of the 2020s.”
Producer Eiji Aonuma told AFP he was “all nervous” ahead of launch. Early critical reaction should ease that. Sales watchers will now track how hard the remake pushes Switch 2 hardware through the holiday window, especially with Nintendo’s latest earnings still showing strong software demand even as quarterly profit dipped.
TheGamer reported huge midnight queues on November 4–5, including a London Argos line estimated around 500 people and packed GameStop and Best Buy events across the U.S. That physical turnout is notable in a year when the industry is still arguing over disc and cart viability.
Separately, some Amazon pre-order customers reported shipping dates pushed to November 11 or later even though the game unlocked on the 5th. Nintendo often holds physical inventory until the day before launch to limit leaks, which can cascade into carrier delays. If your package will not arrive today, the digital eShop version unlocks immediately on a Switch 2 with enough free storage — or you can check a local GameStop / Best Buy for leftover first-print foil copies.
November is stacked. Ocarina of Time owns the Switch 2 spotlight this week. World of Warcraft: Forever just opened on PC if you want a long-form MMO fix — we covered the WoW Forever launch time, rulesets and raid schedule. GTA 6 pre-loads begin November 10 ahead of its mid-month unlock. If you are budget planning for holiday hardware and games, bookmark our guide to Black Friday 2026 sale dates at Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Amazon.
No. It is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.
No for the base game. Switch Online is only needed if you want the Ocarina of Time tracks added to the Nintendo Music app, or other NSO services.
No. The 2011 3DS version was a portable remaster. This Switch 2 release is a new remake with rebuilt visuals, voice acting, orchestral audio and modern controls. Metacritic has the 3DS version at 94 and this remake at 96.
It is rated Everyone 10+ for animated blood and fantasy violence. The story still involves darker beats (death of the Deku Tree, adult Hyrule under Ganondorf), so preview it if you have younger players.
Nintendo has not tied a new mainline Zelda reveal to this launch day. The remake is positioned as a 40th-anniversary celebration of the series that began in 1986.
Launch-day note: review averages and Amazon ship estimates can still shift. We will update if Nintendo posts day-one patch notes or revised download sizes.
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