Ocarina of Time Remake: Release Date, Price and What’s New on Switch 2

Ocarina of Time came out on November 23, 1998, and it still sits at a 99 on Metacritic. On November 5 it comes back, rebuilt from the ground up for Nintendo Switch 2, with voice acting, a jump button and an ocarina you can play by humming into your console. That last one sounds like a gimmick right up until you picture a whole living room humming Saria’s Song at the TV.

Here’s what you need to know: the remake launches November 5, 2026, only on Switch 2. It’s $59.99 digital and $69.99 list for the physical game, which Amazon has at $59.88 right now. If you’ve never played Ocarina of Time, this is the version to start with. If you have, the reasons to go back are the voice acting, the new jump and dash, and the humming.

When does the Ocarina of Time remake come out?

Nintendo announced the remake in the June 9 Nintendo Direct with just a few seconds of footage, then gave it a date at the Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct on September 8: November 5, 2026, worldwide.

It’s a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, so there’s no version for the original Switch. If you buy digital, you can preload it and play the moment it unlocks. Nintendo lists the download at about 27 GB, so clear some space first.

How much does it cost?

Prices from Nintendo’s store and Amazon, checked October 27, 2026. The console and the Electric Ocarina were sold out on Nintendo’s US store that day.

Nintendo hasn’t announced a special edition of the game itself. Buy the digital version before November 23 at 11:59 p.m. PT and Nintendo adds a Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary digital wallpaper as an early purchase bonus. Retailers list the first run of physical copies with textured foil cover art while supplies last.

My pick: the physical copy at $59.88. It’s the same price as digital right now, and you end up with a game card you can lend or resell.

What’s new compared to the N64 version?

The story and the two eras are the same: young Link with the Kokiri Sword, then adult Link with the Master Sword, across Kokiri Forest, Lon Lon Ranch, Kakariko Village, Goron City and Zora’s River. Almost everything around that story is new:

• Presentation: completely overhauled visuals, orchestral music, voice acting and expanded cutscenes.
• Movement: Link can jump and dash now, and the camera works like a modern game.
• More to read and hear: new and expanded dialogue from characters big and small.
• Threads of Time: a tapestry that fills in as you play, recaps the story and shows your current objective.
• Hall of Fallen Foes: a room where you can learn more about the enemies you’ve defeated.
• Aiming: the Fairy Bow, slingshot and Hookshot work with buttons or motion controls, your choice in the Options menu.
• amiibo: any Legend of Zelda amiibo gives you in-game extras, and the new Young Link and Young Zelda figures (coming in 2027) unlock masks with a retro look.
• ZELDA NOTES: a companion feature in the Nintendo Switch App that shows your daily accomplishments, gives you photo challenges to find in-game spots, and even lets you play an ocarina on your phone.

Can you really play the ocarina by humming?

Yes. Nintendo says you can play Link’s ocarina with the buttons, by humming, or even by playing your own instrument into the Switch 2 microphone. The songs still do what they always did: open new paths, turn day into night and more.

For people who want the full bit, there’s the Electric Ocarina of Time ($49.99, November 5). Don’t expect a real instrument. It’s an electronic toy with a mouthpiece button and finger buttons, and the Switch 2 hears the notes it plays. It has a Free Play mode and an Auto-Play mode that plays 12 songs from the game at the press of a button, plus a volume dial and a headphone jack. It needs three AA batteries and a screwdriver, and neither comes in the box.

Honestly? Humming is free, and it’s funnier. I’d only buy the Electric Ocarina as a gift for the Zelda fan who already has everything.

Should you buy the Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2?

It’s a gorgeous console: green and gold Joy-Con 2 controllers and a black and gold dock with the Triforce on the front. It comes out October 29 for $519.99, and the game is not included, so add $59.99 or more on top.

It showed as sold out on Nintendo’s US store on October 27. If you miss it, don’t pay a scalper’s markup for a console that doesn’t even come with the game. A regular Switch 2 plays Ocarina of Time exactly the same.

Is it worth buying if you’ve played it before?

You already have other ways to play Ocarina of Time. The N64 original is on Nintendo Classics for Nintendo Switch Online members with the Expansion Pack (it joined the service on October 25, 2021), and the 2011 Nintendo 3DS version remade it once already, with Master Quest included.

What’s different this time is that it was built from scratch for a big screen, with a real jump, voices and a modern camera. Those changes could make the old dungeons feel new, or they could make them too easy. Nobody outside Nintendo knows yet, because reviews aren’t out.

If you’ve never played it, buy it. If you have and you’re on the fence, wait for reviews. I’ll add the scores to this page when they land.

Read next: Nintendo Switch 2: Every Launch Game Worth Buying · Every Big Geek Movie of 2027 (Including the Zelda Movie) · What to Eat While Playing GTA VI

Sources: Nintendo’s official store pages for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Electric Ocarina of Time and the Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Switch 2 (checked October 27, 2026), Nintendo Everything (September 8, 2026 Direct coverage), Wikipedia (original release dates, Metacritic score, 3DS version and Nintendo Classics date) and Amazon listings, checked October 27, 2026.

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