It's time for Zelda Fans to break open their piggy bank. In addition to Tears of the Kingdom’s release in May, Nintendo is also releasing a new special edition Switch model to coincide with the game. This isn’t the first special edition Nintendo Switch based on one of the company’s IPs, considering the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch and Splatoon 3 Nintendo Switch OLED in recent history. Here’s everything you need to know about the Tears of the Kingdom Switch OLED, including its release date, price, and order details.
What Is Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch OLED?
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch OLED is a version of the Nintendo Switch OLED with a Tears of the Kingdom-inspired design. It was officially announced during the March Tears of the Kingdom showcase.
Rumors of a special edition Switch model for Tears of the Kingdom started at the end of 2022. Leaked photos showed off the now-confirmed Switch OLED, the console sports a silvery white dock with gold-colored embellishments and matching Joy-Cons with green detailing.
Video Games Chronicle reported that the photos originated from a Famiiboard forum the night before their article was published on December 30, 2022. One social media post around the same time claims that the photos originally came from Baidu Tieba, a Chinese social media platform, before spreading to Reddit and Resetera. Both posts reference the same photos.
When Is the Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch OLED Release Date?
You won’t have to wait till May 12 to get your hands on the Switch and the game though. The special edition Switch releases on April 28, two weeks before the game. That way you can break it in and have it ready when Tears of the Kingdom is released.
This was also the case with the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch, which was available for sale a week in advance, and the Splatoon 3 Nintendo Switch OLED, which launched two weeks before the actual game.
What Is the Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch OLED Price?
The official North American price for the Tears of The Kingdom OLED Switch is $359.99. This matches the price of the limited-edition Splatoon 3 Switch OLED. That’s $10 more than the original Nintendo Switch OLED, so it’s not much of a price jump.
You can also pick up the special edition Pro controller for $74.99 and the special edition Switch Carrying case for $24.99 If you get everything that will come out to just about $460. Not counting your copy of Tears of the Kingdom of course.
How Can I Pre-order the Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch OLED?
The special edition Tears of the Kingdom OLED is not available to pre-order directly through Nintendo’s site. However, you can currently pre-order the special edition Switch through Amazon, Best Buy, or Target.
Chances are the special edition will be a very hot commodity, so you should lock in your pre-order as quickly as possible. You don’t need to be too worried however as this likely won’t be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The special edition Animal Crossing Switch sold out during its first run of sales but eventually came back for subsequent sales. Of course, that is not a sure bet, so better safe than sorry.
