Nintendo is remaking The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2, and it lands on November 5. That raises a fair question for anyone with a Switch Online membership: the 1998 original is already in the Nintendo 64 library. Do you pay for the remake, or play the version you can already get?
The answer mostly comes down to how you feel about the N64 original, and whether you own a Switch 2. Here’s what each option costs, what Nintendo says is new in the remake, and who should pick which. The remake isn’t out yet, so this is based on what Nintendo and major outlets have shown, not on our own play.
The remake: price, date and platform
- Release date: November 5, 2026, per Nintendo’s store page.
- Price: $59.99 digital or $69.99 physical in the US, as reported by The Verge and GamesRadar+.
- Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 only. Nintendo’s store listing calls it a “Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusive,” and The Verge notes it’s the first Zelda release exclusive to Switch 2. It won’t run on the original Switch.
- File size: Nintendo estimates 27 GB.
- Players: Single player.
Nintendo is also releasing a Zelda-themed Switch 2 and Pro Controller on October 29, a week before the game, according to Game Informer.
The original: what you get with Switch Online
Nintendo’s Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics page lists The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time among its included games, alongside Majora’s Mask, Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64 and around 30 others. You need the higher tier to play it. Nintendo says the N64 library is “only available with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.”
In the US, Nintendo’s support site lists the Expansion Pack at:
- $49.99 a year for an individual membership
- $79.99 a year for a family membership (up to eight accounts)
That price also covers Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis and Virtual Boy games, plus GameCube classics on Switch 2 and some paid DLC. The Expansion Pack library plays on both the original Switch and Switch 2. Nintendo also notes you can suspend your game at any point in Ocarina of Time, which helps with a game built around long dungeons.
The catch is that it’s a subscription. You keep access only while your membership is active.
What’s actually new in the remake
Here’s what Nintendo has confirmed on its store page and in its October 14 overview trailer post:
- Overhauled visuals. Built “from the ground up for the Nintendo Switch 2,” in Nintendo’s words.
- Fully voiced cutscenes and expanded dialogue.
- Full symphonic orchestral music.
- Updated controls. Nintendo says you can “jump and dash through the action with enhanced controls and modern camera movements.” The Verge notes Link now has a jump button and free camera control.
- Play songs out loud. You can hum a melody or play one on a real instrument, and Nintendo says the Switch 2 microphone will hear it and Link’s ocarina will respond.
- Hall of Fallen Heroes. A new area with statues of defeated monsters, where you can learn about them or fight them again.
- ZELDA NOTES support in the Nintendo Switch App on phones.
- amiibo extras. Existing Zelda amiibo give in-game rewards. Two new Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo, due in 2027, unlock masks with a retro look.
- HDR and VRR on compatible TVs, per the store listing.
The Verge also reports a new feature called “threads of time,” which makes it easier to see where to go next. Longtime Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma described the remake as “a faithful interpretation using modern technologies,” according to The Verge.
The story is the same well-known setup: Ganondorf is after the Triforce, and Link has to become the Hero of Time to stop him.
Cost: one game vs a library
The math isn’t close to a straight swap. For $10 more than a year of Expansion Pack, the remake gets you one game you keep. The Expansion Pack gets you the N64 original plus dozens of other classics, for as long as you keep paying.
If you already pay for Expansion Pack for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course Pass or the GameCube library, the original Ocarina is effectively free to try. That makes it a cheap way to find out whether you still enjoy the game before spending $60 to $70 on the new version.
Thinking about physical versus digital? Our look at PlayStation ending game discs in 2028 covers how to weigh the two in general.
Who should buy the remake
Buy it if you have a Switch 2 and either never finished Ocarina or bounced off its 1998 controls and camera. Nintendo is clearly pitching it as an “entry point” for new players, and the voice acting, music and modern controls are aimed right at them.
Buy it if you’re a longtime fan who wants the new content, like the Hall of Fallen Heroes and the singing-to-the-mic feature.
Stick with Switch Online if you only own an original Switch, since the remake won’t run on it. The same goes if you already have Expansion Pack and mostly want to revisit the game as it was.
Wait for reviews if you’re unsure. With Grand Theft Auto VI arriving the same month, as The Verge points out, there’s no rush. (Weighing that one too? See our GTA 6 PS5 vs Xbox guide.)
Our take
If you have a Switch 2 and want to play Ocarina of Time properly for the first time, the remake looks like the version to get, based on what Nintendo has shown. If you already pay for Expansion Pack, try the original first. It costs nothing extra, and it’ll tell you quickly whether the remake’s changes are worth $60 to $70 to you. If you’re on an original Switch, Switch Online is your only option for now.
FAQ
Is Ocarina of Time on Nintendo Switch Online? Yes. The N64 original is in the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics library, which needs a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership ($49.99 a year for individuals in the US).
How much is the Ocarina of Time remake? $59.99 digital or $69.99 physical, launching November 5, 2026.
Can I play the remake on the original Switch? No. It’s a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.
What’s new in the remake? Per Nintendo: new visuals, voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, orchestral music, a jump button and modern camera, microphone song input, and the new Hall of Fallen Heroes.
Sources
- Nintendo: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo Switch 2) store page
- Nintendo: New Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time overview trailer (October 14, 2026)
- Nintendo: Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics
- Nintendo: Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
- Nintendo Support: How much does a Nintendo Switch Online membership cost?
- The Verge: Nintendo’s Ocarina of Time remake launches in November (September 8, 2026)
- GamesRadar+: Ocarina of Time remake pre-orders
- Game Informer: Ocarina of Time remake, amiibo and Zelda 40th anniversary Switch 2 announced (September 8, 2026)
