Ocarina of Time is being remade from the ground up for Switch 2, and the ocarina now listens to you
At a Direct marking Zelda's 40th anniversary, Nintendo finally dated its Ocarina of Time remake: 5 November 2026, Switch 2 only. It adds a jump button, a dash, a free camera and a microphone mode that plays songs when you hum or whistle them. A Triforce-themed console lands first, on 29 October. Here is what was actually confirmed, and what was only teased.
On 8 September 2026, at a Direct marking The Legend of Zelda's 40th anniversary, Nintendo showed the first gameplay of a ground-up Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2, out 5 November. It adds a dedicated jump button, a dash, a full free camera and a microphone mode that plays ocarina songs when you hum or whistle them. A Triforce-themed Switch 2 console arrives separately on 29 October, and it does not include the game.
For a certain kind of player, no game carries more weight than The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It is the one that turned Zelda three-dimensional in 1998, is widely credited with popularising the lock-on "Z-targeting" camera that many action games have used since, and has sat near the top of "greatest of all time" lists ever since. So when Nintendo teased the game back in June, the reaction was equal parts delight and dread: get this one wrong and you are not just botching a port, you are repainting a monument. On 8 September 2026, at a Direct built around Zelda's 40th anniversary, Nintendo finally showed its hand. Here is what is real, and what is still just a logo on a slide.
What did Nintendo actually announce?
The headline is a date. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches on 5 November 2026, exclusively on Switch 2, with pre-orders opening straight after the show. Nintendo priced it at $59.99 digital and $69.99 physical, and said the first print run of the physical edition ships in commemorative packaging with textured foil cover art.
This was the payoff to a tease from the 9 June 2026 Direct, which had shown only a sleeping young Link, a glowing Triforce and a modern logo, with a vague "2026" window and no gameplay at all. Coverage called it a remake, though the tease itself did not use the word. Everything concrete, the date, the price, the features and the first real footage, landed on 8 September, with series producer Eiji Aonuma fronting the gameplay reveal. Nintendo has not confirmed which studio is developing it.
Is it a remake or a remaster?
A remake, and the distinction matters. Nintendo's own store copy says the game is "built from the ground up for the Nintendo Switch 2 system," and every outlet that covered the show used the word remake rather than remaster. That means new assets, new systems and reworked controls rather than an up-rezzed version of the old game. Engadget described "a stunning visual overhaul" with far more environmental detail, and Nintendo's materials promise "completely overhauled visuals, voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, and symphonic orchestral music." One widely shared figure to flag: a 60fps frame rate has circulated in coverage but Nintendo has not confirmed it, so treat it as a rumour rather than a spec.
What is new compared with the 1998 original?
This is where a remake earns or loses the faithful, and Nintendo leaned into quality-of-life changes that modern Zelda players now expect:
- A dedicated jump button, where the original only let Link hop automatically at ledges.
- A dash for crossing long distances, reportedly with no stamina gauge to drain.
- A full, player-controlled free camera plus gyro motion aiming for the slingshot and bow.
- On-the-fly item and weapon swapping, in the style of recent entries.
- Fully voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, and a symphonic orchestral rescore.
- A "Threads of Time" quest log that recaps the story and tracks objectives.
- A continuous day and night cycle that now runs everywhere, with Hyrule Castle Town fully explorable rather than locked to fixed camera angles.
- Support for new Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo (arriving in 2027) that unlock masks evoking a retro graphical style, plus the Zelda Notes companion-app features.
Can you really hum songs into the microphone?
Yes, and it is one of the reveals that drew the biggest reaction. Alongside the usual button inputs, the remake lets you hum or whistle ocarina melodies into the Switch 2's built-in microphone to play them in game. Given that the whole title is named after an instrument you spend the game learning to play, it is a neat bit of hardware-led design rather than a gimmick.
Keep two things separate, though. The humming feature works through the console's microphone. Quite distinctly, Nintendo also announced real, physical ocarina instruments tied to the game for later in 2026: a playable acoustic ocarina, with no announced price, and a $49.99 electronic ocarina device from HORI. Neither is required to play the game.
What about the special edition Switch 2 console?
There is one, and it is a separate product on a separate date, so do not assume buying it gets you the game. The Nintendo Switch 2: The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition launches on 29 October 2026, a week ahead of the game, and Nintendo's listing explicitly notes the game is not included. The design runs Triforce motifs across the back of the system, the dock and the Joy-Con 2, with green-and-gold controllers and a black-and-gold dock.
On price, be precise: Nintendo's Japanese listing puts it at 62,980 yen including tax. A US figure of $519.99 has been widely reported, but it was not shown on the Nintendo US store page at the time of writing, so treat the dollar price as outlet-reported until Nintendo posts it. Matching themed accessories arrive the same day, including a Pro Controller with a display stand and a carrying case and screen protector at $39.99 (the one hardware-line-up price Nintendo's US store does confirm, unlike the outlet-reported $519.99 console figure).
What else was at the 40th Anniversary Direct?
Ocarina of Time was the centrepiece, but the roughly half-hour show also lined up a year of anniversary tie-ins: a 1,750-piece LEGO Link and Epona display set for spring 2027, a live 40th Anniversary Concert tour starting in Tokyo in January 2027 (with Chicago, London and Melbourne dates to follow), and new Zelda attractions at the Nintendo Museum in Kyoto. A completely separate general Nintendo Direct aired the very next day, on 9 September, covering winter Switch 2 software such as a new 2D Metroid and a Witcher 3 remaster. That is a different show, and not part of this announcement. For more on the release calendar, see our rundown of the biggest games of 2026 and 2027 and the rest of the gaming section.
And the Zelda movie?
This is the one to be careful with. The Direct did touch the live-action film, but it reiterated rather than revealed: it confirmed the title is simply "The Legend of Zelda," with no subtitle, and a worldwide theatrical date of 30 April 2027. That date was already public, and there was no trailer, no new footage and no new casting. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link and Bo Bragason as Zelda were announced back in 2025. The only fresh morsel was a characteristically coy line from Shigeru Miyamoto on the missing subtitle: "Once you see the film, you'll understand why there isn't a subtitle."
Then and now
| Feature | 1998 original | Switch 2 remake |
|---|---|---|
| Jumping | Automatic at ledges only | Dedicated jump button |
| Traversal | Walk and roll | Added dash, reportedly no stamina |
| Camera | Fixed angles plus Z-targeting | Full free camera plus gyro aiming |
| Playing the ocarina | Button combinations | Button combinations or hum/whistle into the mic |
| Cutscenes | Text only | Fully voiced |
| Music | Sequenced N64 audio | Symphonic orchestral rescore |
| Hyrule Castle Town | Fixed-camera area | Fully explorable |
| Quest tracking | None | "Threads of Time" log |
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