The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time For Nintendo Switch 2 Launches This

Nintendo just gave us our first real look at The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo Switch 2, and it is happening sooner than many of us expected. During today’s Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct, Nintendo showed actual gameplay for the first time since June’s teaser and confirmed a November 5, 2026, release date exclusively for the Switch 2. Yes, it is launching alongside what many expect to be a generational game, Grand Theft Auto VI.

Based on today’s showing, this looks like a faithful, ground-up visual overhaul rather than a complete reimagining. It has the same dungeons, story beats, and boss fights, only now they have been dressed up with modern lighting, additional environmental detail, and camera controls that hopefully will not fight you at every turn. Characters are also fully voiced during cutscenes, which is a significant shift for a series that has mostly stayed quiet outside of grunts and the occasional “Hey, listen!”

That’s not all, as Nintendo is taking advantage of the Switch 2’s built-in microphone, allowing anyone who already knows Saria’s Song or Zelda’s Lullaby by heart to hum the melody into the console instead of pressing buttons. It is a neat touch and, honestly, the kind of feature that only makes sense now that the hardware can support it.

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Nintendo also showed off a Zelda-themed Switch 2 console to accompany the launch because, of course, it did. I am already seeing scores of people arguing over whether it is worth buying, while plenty of others have skipped the debate entirely and declared, “I’m pre-ordering this.”

Still, I have to be honest. It looks like Nintendo ran the game through a “Make This Game Look Like It’s Running DLSS 5” filter, and I am not completely sold on the resulting visual style. I would also love to know what frame rate Nintendo is targeting, especially since that could make a significant difference in how this remake feels to play.

Granted, this is Nintendo, so a faithful remake of arguably the greatest game ever made was never going to be a hard sell. Ocarina of Time still sits at the top of Metacritic’s all-time list, and pairing its return with next year’s live-action Zelda movie makes the timing feel less like a coincidence and more like a deliberate victory lap.

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And with this, I’m almost 100% certain my Switch 2 is going to disappear, as I know my son is already plotting to make off with it, like a bandit.

Nintendo Switch 2 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time