Zelda Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Remake: Release Date, UK Price, Midnight Launch and What’s New

Nintendo’s Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches on Thursday 5 November 2026, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. UK players can attend an official midnight launch at the Nintendo store at Argos Tottenham Court Road in London on Wednesday evening, where attendees receive special Nintendo 64 box replicas. Search interest in the game spiked across the UK on 4 November as launch week arrived.

The remake rebuilds the 1998 Nintendo 64 classic from the ground up, 28 years after the original release. It was developed by Nintendo’s internal Entertainment Planning and Development Production Group No. 3, directed for the first time by HokWai Ng, with series producer Eiji Aonuma and Hidemaro Fujibayashi producing. Nintendo confirmed the 5 November 2026 release date during its Zelda 40th anniversary presentation on 8 September 2026.

Zelda Ocarina of Time Switch 2 — Quick Reference Summary

How Nintendo rebuilt a 1998 classic for Switch 2 hardware

Nintendo’s Ask the Developer Vol. 24 interview series, published in parts on 2 and 3 November 2026, sets out how the team approached the rebuild. The visuals use upgraded environments and puppet-inspired textures tailored to modern hardware, while the structure of Hyrule deliberately stays faithful to the original rather than becoming one seamless open world. Director HokWai Ng said the team wanted each new area to carry the original’s sense of excitement when players first entered it.

The project also sits inside a wider 40th anniversary rollout for the Zelda series. A special 40th Anniversary Edition Switch 2 console and a matching Pro Controller were released on 29 October 2026, ahead of the game itself. The anniversary console does not include Ocarina of Time, which is sold separately.

Free jumping, full voice acting and a reworked Water Temple

The most talked-about gameplay change is free jumping, which replaces the original game’s automatic jumping system. Players also get sprinting, a dedicated jump button and two jump-attack control options, alongside streamlined item switching. The remake keeps the original’s story progression while adding modern controls familiar from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Cutscenes are now fully voiced, a major departure from the Nintendo 64 original. Nintendo held blind auditions to match the voices to players’ memories of the characters, and one actor chosen in the Japanese auditions had unknowingly performed the same role in the original game. Iconic voice lines, including Navi’s “Listen!”, remain in place.

The Water Temple, long famous as the original’s toughest dungeon, has had its navigation reworked and item toggling made easier. A new Threads of Time feature presents the story as an illustrated record that fills in as players progress, designed so parents and children can follow the adventure together. The soundtrack runs to more than 150 tracks, and the Switch 2 microphone lets players hum a melody or play a real ocarina for the game to recognise.

UK prices, editions and the midnight launch

In the UK, Nintendo’s own store lists the game at £49.99 as a digital download code and £58.99 for the physical edition, while retailer prices may vary. The first print run of the physical edition carries special textured foil packaging while stocks last. US buyers pay $59.99 digital and $69.99 physical on Nintendo’s store.

The London midnight launch, reported by Video Games Chronicle, takes place at the Nintendo store at Argos Tottenham Court Road on Wednesday evening ahead of Thursday’s release. Attendees receive special Nintendo 64 box replicas. The download size is listed at about 24.5 GB in the UK and about 27 GB in the US, but those are store estimates, so the final installed size is not publicly verified.

Why launch week has put Zelda back at the top of UK searches

The remake arrives as one of the biggest Nintendo releases of the year, and its launch week has driven the exact search query now topping UK trends. Nintendo’s November schedule also puts other Switch 2 titles on the same 5 November date, including Stellar Blade Complete Edition and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Encore Edition. For UK players, the combination of a midnight event, anniversary hardware and a 28-year-old classic rebuilt for new hardware explains the surge.

For readers weighing the purchase, the key decision is format rather than platform: the game only runs on Switch 2, so original Switch owners need the newer console first. The digital edition suits players who want to play at launch without waiting for delivery, while the physical edition suits collectors chasing the foil first print run. Either way, the price gap between digital and physical is £9 at Nintendo’s own store.

Frequently asked questions

When does Zelda Ocarina of Time release on Switch 2? It launches on Thursday 5 November 2026, with a UK midnight launch event on Wednesday evening in London.

Can I play it on the original Nintendo Switch? No. Nintendo lists it as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, and it will not run on the original console.

How much does it cost in the UK? £49.99 digital and £58.99 physical at Nintendo’s own store, though other retailers may charge different prices.

Does the Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 include the game? No. The anniversary console, released 29 October 2026, is sold separately from the game.

Is this a simple port of the old game? No. Nintendo describes a full remake with rebuilt visuals, fully voiced cutscenes, new controls and extra features, rather than a straight port of the Nintendo 64 or 3DS versions.

Are review scores available yet? Review scores and any review embargo date are not publicly verified at the time of writing, so none are claimed here.