Zelda is having its biggest week in years on Switch 2. The Ocarina of Time remake launched on November 5, 2026, the Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition console keeps selling out and coming back in small restocks, and the two biggest Zelda adventures already have enhanced Switch 2 Editions. If you are trying to work out what is actually new, what it costs and what is worth buying, here is the full picture.
The series turned 40 on February 21, 2026, four decades after the original game launched alongside the Famicom Disk System in Japan in 1986. Nintendo has built a year-long programme around the anniversary, and the Switch 2 is at the centre of it.
Ocarina of Time remake: out now on Switch 2
The headline act is the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which went on sale on November 5, 2026. It is a full remake of the 1998 Nintendo 64 classic, rebuilt for Switch 2 with new visuals, fully voiced cutscenes, orchestral music, better camera and movement controls, and a day and night cycle that runs everywhere.
The remake was revealed in a Nintendo Direct presentation in June 2026, and the release date was confirmed at a dedicated Zelda 40th anniversary Direct on September 8. It was developed by Nintendo EPD and is exclusive to Switch 2 — there is no version for the original Switch.
It costs $59.99 for the digital edition and $69.99 for the physical edition on Nintendo’s US store. That puts it below the $79.99 physical price of the Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition, which makes sense: this is a remake of a 28-year-old game, not a brand-new adventure, even if almost everything in it has been rebuilt.
For players who never played the original, Ocarina of Time is the game that set the template for 3D action adventures. Link travels between childhood and adulthood across seven years, explores dungeons across Hyrule, and faces Ganondorf. It is regularly named one of the best games ever made, which is why a full remake — rather than a simple remaster — was the anniversary centrepiece Nintendo chose.
The Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Switch 2 console
The second piece of the anniversary line-up is the hardware. The Nintendo Switch 2 — The Legend of Zelda — 40th Anniversary Edition went on sale on October 29, 2026, with green and gold Joy-Con 2 controllers and a black and gold dock bearing the Triforce symbol.
One thing to know before you buy it: the anniversary console comes without a game. Unboxings from Nintendo Life and others show an empty game case in the box, and Nintendo confirmed when it announced the console that no game is included. You are paying for the design, not a bundle.
The console has sold out almost everywhere since launch, and Nintendo has admitted it underestimated demand. Bill van Zyll, Nintendo’s general manager for Latin America, said the company was not expecting the console to be as popular as it is, and that it is working on replenishing the special hardware and software, though it will take a little time.
Fresh stock arrived around the remake’s launch. Best Buy confirmed limited quantities at select stores for its Ocarina of Time midnight launch on November 5, and Target sold the console in stores on November 5 and online from November 6. Walmart was expected to receive additional units from November 6, and GameStop offered the console through physical stores rather than online. Nintendo has also said more stock is on its way to its official US store, though it has not announced a confirmed restock date.
A matching Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Pro Controller went on sale the same day, November 5, with green and black handles. A version of the controller with a display stand is sold only in Nintendo’s own stores.
If you want the console, the practical advice is to watch Best Buy, Target, Walmart and GameStop listings rather than waiting for one big restock. The pattern so far has been small, frequent waves of stock, not a single large drop — and the two Nintendo Stores in New York and San Francisco sell it at midnight launch events that need a Warp Pipe pass.
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom on Switch 2
The third piece is the pair of Switch 2 Editions of the two modern Zelda adventures. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom both have enhanced editions for Switch 2, and they are separate from the anniversary console and the Ocarina of Time remake.
Both editions add higher resolution, improved frame rates, HDR support and faster loading. They also add a second save file, so you can start a new adventure without losing your existing progress, and ZELDA NOTES, a game-specific companion service in the Nintendo Switch app on your phone, with navigation help, Voice Memories and sharing features.
If you already own either game on the original Switch, you do not need to buy it again. Each game has an upgrade pack for $9.99 that unlocks the Switch 2 Edition, and Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members can access both upgrade packs at no additional charge. The full Switch 2 Edition of Tears of the Kingdom costs $79.99 physically, and Breath of the Wild is $10 cheaper.
Two warnings from Nintendo’s own pages. First, the Switch 2 Editions only run on Nintendo Switch 2 — they are not playable on the original Switch. Second, the second save file you create in a Switch 2 Edition cannot be transferred back to the original Switch version of the game. And the Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition does not include that game’s Expansion Pass DLC, which stays a separate purchase.
What else the 40th anniversary includes
The anniversary programme goes beyond games and hardware. Nintendo has added a two-pin 40th anniversary set to its US Nintendo Store for 800 My Nintendo Platinum Points plus shipping, limited to one order per account. Seven songs from the remake’s soundtrack have been added to Nintendo Music, the streaming app for Nintendo Switch Online members, and new user icons are available.
Looking further ahead, a 1,750-piece LEGO set of Link and Epona is due in spring 2027, a Zelda concert tour is scheduled for 2027, and the live-action Zelda film — co-produced by Sony — is due in cinemas worldwide on April 30, 2027.
Should you buy in now?
It depends what you want. The Ocarina of Time remake is the easiest yes: it is a complete, self-contained game, it is Switch 2 exclusive, and at $59.99 digital it is the cheapest way into the anniversary. If you already own Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, the $9.99 upgrade packs — free with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership — are the best value in the whole line-up.
The anniversary console is the hardest to recommend on value alone. It is the same Switch 2 inside, it comes with no game, and it keeps selling out, which means paying over the odds to a reseller is a real risk. Buy it only if you want the Triforce design itself and can find it at a retailer at the normal price.
One thing is clear either way: with the remake out, the console restocking in waves and the film and LEGO set still to come, Zelda’s 40th anniversary is not a single release. It is a year-long programme, and the Switch 2 is where almost all of it is happening.
FAQ
Is the Ocarina of Time remake on Switch 2?
Yes. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launched on November 5, 2026, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. It costs $59.99 digitally and $69.99 physically.
Does the Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 come with a game?
No. The limited-edition console comes without a game — the box even includes an empty game case. You buy the game separately.
Where can I find the Zelda Switch 2 console in stock?
Stock has been arriving in small waves. Best Buy, Target, Walmart and GameStop have all had restocks around November 5-6, 2026, and Nintendo says more stock is coming to its official US store.
How much is the Zelda Switch 2 upgrade for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom?
The upgrade pack is $9.99 per game if you already own it. Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members get both upgrade packs at no additional charge.
What is ZELDA NOTES?
ZELDA NOTES is a companion service in the Nintendo Switch app for smart devices, exclusive to the Switch 2 Editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. It offers navigation help, Voice Memories and sharing features.
