What time does Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom release?

By James On May 10, 2023

We are now just days away from the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

For those purchasing digitally from Nintendo eShop, you can preload Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom ahead of its May 12 release to play as soon as it’s available. As with previous Nintendo releases, you’ll be able to play as soon as the day starts in your region, though there’s an exception for those living in North America.

For those who prefer a physical copy, our Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom pre-order guide can provide the available options.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom release time: When is Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom going live?

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be available on the Switch eShop on Friday, May 12 at the following times:

9 p.m. PDT on May 11 off the west coast of North America
12:01 a.m. EDT on May 12 off the east coast of North America
12:01am BST on May 12 for the UK
00:01 AM CEST on May 12 for Western mainland Europe
12:01 AM JST on May 12 for Japan

In brief, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be available on midnight local timewith the exception of North America, where it goes live throughout the region at the same time as the East Coast due to time zone differences – meaning you can play Thursday nights if you’re on the West Coast.

If you buy Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom from an eShop region where the game is already available, such as Japan, you can play it early. However, it requires purchases using an eShop account from that region in local currency, and your progress will be tied to that account too – so unless you’re planning on playing the entire game that way, you’re better off waiting.

The exception to all of the above, of course, is if you buy physically, where the game is playable once you get your copy. If you haven’t pre-ordered yet, it’s worth doing before Friday to ensure delivery arrives on time.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom preload size

If you buy Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom digitally from the eShop, you can download ahead of release to start playing as soon as it’s available.

According to Nintendo, the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom preload size is 16.36 GB – so make sure you have enough space on your switch beforehand. If not, consider a microSD card upgrade.

This does not take into account any patches or updates both on release day and afterwards, meaning that the size of the game could likely grow beyond its initial preload size over time.