The awaited remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time arrives on the Nintendo Switch 2 this week, letting players finally experience the iconic Nintendo 64 title with glorious modern graphics.
The Ocarina of Time remake release is Thursday, November 5. However, if you plan to download the game from the Switch 2 eShop, be aware of the exact digital release time so you can start Link’s journey as soon as possible.
When Does the Ocarina of Time Remake Come Out on Switch 2?
The Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake releases at midnight local time in almost every time zone, as is standard for most games available on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Unless you live in certain regions of the United States, the game will become downloadable and playable at midnight on Thursday, November 5. New Zealand will get access first, as it is almost a full day ahead of the U.S. West Coast.
In the US, Ocarina of Time will be available at 9 p.m. Pacific Time (Los Angeles), 10 p.m. Mountain Time (Denver), 11 p.m. Central Time (Chicago), and 12 a.m. Eastern Time (NYC).
For a full breakdown of the release time schedule, refer to our handy-dandy table below that lists the unlock time for some major cities:
|
Region |
Release Date |
Release Time |
|---|---|---|
|
Los Angeles (West Coast) – PST |
November 4 |
9:00 p.m. |
|
Denver (Mountain) – MST |
November 4 |
10:00 p.m. |
|
Chicago (Central) – CST |
November 4 |
11:00 p.m. |
|
New York City (East Coast) – EST |
November 5 |
12:00 a.m. |
|
Rio – BRT |
November 5 |
12:00 a.m. |
|
London – BST |
November 5 |
12:00 a.m. |
|
Western Europe – CEST |
November 5 |
12:00 a.m. |
|
Tokyo – JST |
November 5 |
12:00 a.m. |
|
Australia – AEST |
November 5 |
12:00 a.m. |
How to Play Zelda: Ocarina of Time Early (New Zealand Trick)
Since Ocarina of Time comes out at midnight local time in New Zealand, you can play a full day early if you live in the United States, but you’ll need to do a few “tricks” to make it work on your Switch 2.
- First is to create a new Switch 2 account and choose New Zealand as the region. This will allow you to browse their version of the eShop and buy Ocarina of Time (starting at 6 am Eastern Time on Wednesday morning).
- However, to add funds to the account, you’ll need either a Credit Card based in New Zealand or eShop cards from a website like Playtech.co or Playasia.
- Once purchased, the digital eShop cards will be sent to your email, and then you can redeem them to add money to your new eShop account.
- Keep in mind that to make this work, you’ll have to spend more USD than the price of Ocarina of Time in the States. The total cost of the eShop cards will more than likely be more than $100 USD. If you really care about playing a day early, it might be worth it, but some people might be turned off by that.
- Released
-
November 5, 2026
- ESRB
-
Everyone 10+ / Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
-
Nintendo
