Zelda’s 40th-Anniversary Switch 2 Arrives October 29

The short version

• The Zelda 40th-anniversary Switch 2 launches October 29, 2026.
• The matching Pro Controller and carrying case with screen protector are dated October 29, 2026.
• Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo unlock special masks in Ocarina of Time.

A Zelda design for the anniversary

Nintendo is making a specially designed Nintendo Switch 2 for The Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary, available October 29, 2026. The company revealed the system near the end of its September 8 Direct. It has green Joy-Con controllers and a black-and-gold dock decorated with the Triforce. A specially designed Switch 2 Pro Controller and a carrying case with screen protector were also shown with the same October 29 date.

This is an anniversary hardware reveal, separate from the extended Ocarina of Time demonstration that occupied much of the presentation. Nintendo introduced the products as specially designed versions, not as a new performance tier of Switch 2. Nothing in that introduction makes them a requirement for playing the remake.

For someone who already owns the console, the controller or case may be the more relevant part of this announcement. They offer a way to follow the anniversary theme without automatically treating a second system as the obvious purchase. Whether either is worth buying will depend on the actual product details and price.

Two Ocarina amiibo have an in-game use

Nintendo also announced Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo. Producer Hidemaro Fujibayashi said the figures unlock special masks in Ocarina of Time. That is the function stated during the presentation; we are not assuming they unlock extra dungeons, change the story, or contain another game.

The remake itself launches November 5, 2026 on Nintendo Switch 2—one week after the October 29 anniversary hardware. Those dates come from the separate on-screen release cards. Buyers should still check the listing for the exact item they want, including its region and contents, rather than assume every Zelda product comes in one package.

The same caution applies to bundle contents. Seeing a console and a game in the same Direct does not by itself establish that a copy of the game is included with the hardware. We will add purchase details when an official product listing establishes them.

There are additions that do not involve another console

The presentation’s companion-app demonstration is also worth separating from the physical products. Ocarina supports Zelda Notes through the Nintendo Switch app for smart devices. Today’s Record keeps a chronological record of accomplishments, automatically captured screenshots, and play statistics.

Gossip Quests ask players to identify locations from images, with points exchangeable for ocarina music scores. Play Ocarina lets you use the smart-device screen as an instrument, follow a score, hear it played automatically, and share your own scores through QR code patterns. These are different features from scanning an amiibo to obtain a mask.

An Ocarina quiz contains more than 2,000 questions. Nintendo described a daily attempt and additional attempts paid for with rupees collected in the game and transferred through its shops. The presentation did not describe that currency as a real-money purchase.

The game still comes first

The anniversary now has a console design, accessories, figures, app features, concerts, and a film update. There is plenty to collect, but the important distinction for players is what changes the adventure and what is an optional extra around it. A themed controller and a new dungeon are not the same kind of announcement.

Would you buy Zelda anniversary hardware, or would you rather put that money toward another game?

Sources and transparency

• Nintendo of America · anniversary hardware and amiibo announcements
• Nintendo · official September 8 Zelda Direct