In the Switch 2 remake of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, you can hum Zelda’s Lullaby into your console and Link plays it. Nintendo has confirmed the Switch 2 microphone listens for any ocarina song Link has already learned, whether you hum it, sing it or play it on a real instrument. The game launches November 5, 2026, exclusively on Switch 2, for 59.99 US dollars digital or 69.99 US dollars physical.
It’s a full rebuild, not an upscale. New visuals, voiced cutscenes, an orchestral score and reworked controls, plus a few genuinely new features. Here’s what Nintendo has actually confirmed, and what’s still just internet chatter, with three weeks to go.
How the voice ocarina works
Series producer Eiji Aonuma showed it off in Nintendo’s gameplay demonstration during the Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct on September 8. You pull out the ocarina, then hum or play a learned melody near the Switch 2’s built in microphone, and Link performs it in game. Button input still works, so nobody’s forcing you to sing on the bus.
Nintendo also announced two physical ocarinas for later this year: a playable one, and an electric one from HORI that plays individual notes or full songs at the press of a button. The game works with either one. Prices and exact dates for these haven’t been announced.
Everything else Nintendo has confirmed
- Overhauled visuals with a new art direction, down to the textures of each material.
- Fully voiced cutscenes with expanded character dialogue, and symphonic orchestral music.
- Reworked camera and movement, including Right Stick camera control and new button commands, plus faster loading.
- Threads of Time, a tracker showing your story progress and your next objective.
- A day and night cycle that keeps running everywhere, towns included.
- The Hall of Fallen Foes: statues of defeated enemies with info on where to find them, plus boss rematches that record your best time.
- ZELDA NOTES support in the Nintendo Switch App, with a map, play data, a photo studio, a virtual ocarina and a quiz with more than 2,000 questions.
- New Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo in 2027 that unlock retro style masks. Existing Zelda amiibo give items when tapped.
The first print run of the physical version has textured foil cover art while supplies last. The Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Switch 2 console arrives a week earlier, on October 29, but doesn’t include the game.
Watch the official overview trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time below.
What’s not confirmed
A lot of sites have filled the gaps with guesses, so here’s the honest list. Nintendo hasn’t named the studio behind the remake; a leak reported by press points to Monolith Soft, but that’s unconfirmed. Nintendo hasn’t mentioned Master Quest, a hero mode or difficulty options. There’s no official resolution or frame rate target, no file size and no unlock time yet. Some outlets have also listed manual jumping, dashing and motion aimed items as features. None of those appear in Nintendo’s own feature list, so don’t count on them.
What players are saying
In the comments under Nintendo Life’s coverage of the October overview trailer, the mood is mostly excited. Readers keep calling the art style stunning, praise the music and say combat looks snappier. The boss rematch room got a warm reception, with comparisons to Wind Waker’s figurine gallery.
The voice acting is the sore spot. Several readers think the English cast sounds generic, and some want a Japanese audio option or a way to switch voices off. Others noticed jagged edges from missing anti aliasing, and a few feel there isn’t enough new content to buy at launch. Master Quest and a hero mode from the start top the wish list.
Our take
The voice ocarina sounds like a gimmick until you remember how many of us hummed these songs for 28 years anyway. It’s the kind of small, smart touch that makes a remake feel made for the hardware instead of ported to it. The Hall of Fallen Foes and Threads of Time are useful too, especially for anyone who got lost in the Water Temple as a kid.
The voice cast and the missing Master Quest are fair worries. Our advice: the digital version at 59.99 US dollars is 10 dollars cheaper than the boxed copy, and some US retailers already discount the physical edition to 59.99 US dollars with the foil cover. Either way, wait for reviews if voices are a dealbreaker for you.
Where to preorder
Preorders are open on the Nintendo eShop, and the physical edition is on My Nintendo Store and at major retailers. In the UK it’s 49.99 pounds digital and 58.99 pounds physical.
Release date, platforms and price
- Release: November 5, 2026 (unlock time not announced)
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2 only
- Price: 59.99 US dollars digital, 69.99 US dollars physical (49.99 / 58.99 pounds in the UK)
- Stores: Nintendo eShop, My Nintendo Store (physical)
Based on Nintendo’s Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct, Nintendo’s gameplay demonstration and overview trailer, and Nintendo’s feature details as reported by Gematsu and Nintendo Life. Images and trailer: Nintendo.
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