Ocarina of Time Remake Is Out Now on Switch 2, and Critics Already Love It

Few games carry as much weight as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Nintendo has finally rebuilt it from scratch. The Switch 2 remake launches today, November 5, 2026, in Japan, North America and Europe as an exclusive for Nintendo's current console. On the US Nintendo store, the digital edition costs $59.99.

This is not a texture pass or an upscaled port. Nintendo describes completely redone visuals, orchestral music, voice acting and expanded cutscenes, along with improved controls and a modern camera. It arrives in the middle of the series' 40th anniversary celebrations and one week after Nintendo's themed Switch 2 hardware, which makes it the centerpiece of the company's holiday season. The early critical reception suggests the gamble on remaking a sacred text has landed.

From surprise reveal to launch day

Nintendo revealed the remake at the end of its June 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct, promising only that it would arrive "this year." The firm date came on September 8 during The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct, which also announced a matching piece of hardware. The Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Switch 2, finished in gold and metallic green with Link and Zelda sprites on the Joy-Con 2 and a Triforce on the dock, went on sale on October 29 together with a themed Pro Controller and carrying case. Engadget notes that the console does not include a copy of the game, so buyers need to pick it up separately.

The same Direct set up a busy year for the franchise beyond games. Siliconera's recap lists the live-action Zelda film for April 30, 2027 and a 40th anniversary concert tour starting in Tokyo on January 23, 2027.

What has changed

Nintendo's store page lists the main upgrades. Beyond the new visuals and soundtrack, the most charming feature is the ocarina itself: songs can be played with the buttons as before, or by humming or playing a real instrument into the Switch 2 microphone. There are new lore features too, including a Hall of Fallen Foes that catalogs defeated enemies, Goron gossip, fairy lore and a tapestry that tracks your progress. RPG Site adds that the remake brings fully voiced cutscenes, more character dialogue, reworked camera and movement controls, and support for Zelda Notes in the Nintendo Switch App.

Critics who have played it describe deeper changes to the structure. CGMagazine's review points to redesigned boss encounters, including a new attack for Morpha, a streamlined Water Temple with a smarter flow (the dungeon that frustrated a generation of players), a haunted-house makeover for the Forest Temple, and a Lon Lon Ranch that is now an enterable location just outside Castle Town. According to the same review, Z-targeting feels smoother and a few story scenes have been added, while the plot itself stays the same.

There is also a collectible angle, though not yet. New Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo will unlock retro-style masks in the game, but Nintendo's store page and Game Informer both say the figures arrive in 2027.

The practical details

The Nintendo store page lists a 24.9 GB download, 16 supported languages, cloud saves with Nintendo Switch Online and support for lending within a family group. It is single-player and playable in TV, tabletop and handheld modes. Digital buyers who purchase before November 23 at 11:59 p.m. PT receive a bonus digital wallpaper. In Japan, Adnkronos, citing Jiji, reported prices of 8,980 yen for the boxed version and 7,980 yen digitally. Nintendo has not published details of resolution or frame-rate modes.

Early reviews

Reviews landed before launch and they are overwhelming. At the time of writing, OpenCritic shows a Top Critic Average of 95 with 100 percent of critics recommending it across 45 reviews, including 9 out of 10 from IGN, GameSpot and Nintendo Life, a perfect 5 out of 5 from Eurogamer and 10 out of 10 from Shacknews. Metacritic lists a Metascore of 96, with perfect scores from outlets including Destructoid and GamesRadar+. CGMagazine also gave it a 10.

Our take

If you own a Switch 2 and have never played Ocarina of Time, this is the easiest recommendation of the year. If you have played it, the remake looks like more than nostalgia: a reworked camera, a streamlined Water Temple and redesigned bosses address the parts of the 1998 game that have aged worst, while the story and dungeon structure stay intact. The microphone ocarina sounds like a gimmick on paper, but it is exactly the kind of tactile idea that makes a remake feel like it belongs on new hardware.

What to watch: how Nintendo handles performance information it has not yet published, and whether purists push back on the streamlined dungeons. For the wider industry, a near-perfect score for a faithful but ambitious remake is another signal that well-made remakes of classics can match original releases.

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