So you'll have to pick a side next November: either dive back into one of the most legendary games in Nintendo's history, or head off to Vice City with GTA 6. Either way, November is shaping up to be explosive, as Zelda Ocarina of Time will finally land on 5 November 2026 on Switch 2 — exactly two weeks before Rockstar Games' behemoth.
Nintendo used its special Nintendo Direct dedicated to the Ocarina of Time remake to reveal that long-awaited date, and also to show off at greater length what this new version of the Nintendo 64 classic will look like. And inevitably, seeing Hyrule like this after all these years does something to you. The environments have been considerably modernised, with a far more detailed, semi-realistic look, even if Link and the other characters keep their very cartoonish design. That contrast is bound to get social media talking.
Day & Knight
Nintendo clearly isn't out to turn Ocarina of Time into a modern Breath of the Wild-style Zelda; the Japanese firm is instead looking to modernise the game without touching what gave it its identity. The targeting system is still there, then, but certain elements have been brought into line with today's standards. Good news elsewhere: Link no longer jumps automatically, since jumping is now mapped to a button, while the camera can freely rotate a full 360 degrees. That's trivial today, but it was another story back then. The interface has also been reworked to make the adventure easier to digest and, above all, more comfortable. Swapping items is quicker too, and you can see that the map of Hyrule makes it easier to find your bearings and that the game does more to point the player towards where they need to go. And finally, even swimming has been reworked.
Among the most interesting changes is the notion of time, with the day/night cycle. That's fairly run-of-the-mill today, but back in 1998 it was quite a feat. Watching day gradually give way to night as you crossed Hyrule Field had something magical about it 30 years ago. Well, the remake pushes that idea much further, and the day/night cycle will now apply to the whole world, including towns and villages. Enough to make Hyrule feel more alive. And speaking of immersion, Nintendo has finally taken a step players have been waiting on for ages: the cutscenes will be fully voice acted. Hallelujah! New dialogue has even been added, and the Nintendo Direct gave us our first taste of the voice work.
Nostalgia in the service of the game
As for anyone who thought this Ocarina of Time remake would go open world, Nintendo has decided to keep the original structure while fleshing the world out a little. There's no question of turning Ocarina of Time into a vast open world — there will even be loading screens during the game. It gives things a nostalgic feel, but there's a genuine reason behind the choice. The area loads aren't purely down to the Switch 2's performance, not at all. In fact, the Ocarina of Time remake keeps the game split across several scenes because some areas use different scales. The castle you can see in the distance, for instance, is deliberately oversized to act as a visual landmark. The same goes for the inside of the Deku Tree, whose proportions don't match its exterior appearance. That lets the developers cheat with distances, proportions and the topology of the world to improve the staging and the play experience.
A Switch 2 in Zelda colours
And since Nintendo rarely does things by halves where Zelda is concerned, a special console will accompany the game's launch. A The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Switch 2 will go on sale from 29 October, a few days ahead of the remake. A matching Pro Controller and carrying case will also be available, while the new Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo will arrive later, in 2027.
On pricing, this Zelda Ocarina of Time remake will cost £49.99 digitally and £58.99 for the physical version. Now you know everything! See you on 5 November.
