The Ocarina of Time remake should take about 27 hours to beat and around 37 hours to 100%, if it plays like the original. Nobody has finished it yet, because it doesn’t come out until November 5, but Nintendo’s own team says it changed less than it could have. How long did the original take me? No idea. I guarantee you I never 100%ed it though.
Key takeaways
- HowLongToBeat players finished the N64 original in 26.8 hours on average, and took 37.3 hours to complete everything.
- The 3DS version came in at 25.1 hours for the story and 38.4 hours for everything.
- Nintendo cut the fast travel points it tried adding, so getting around Hyrule still takes the same route.
- Running and an objective tracker could save some time, but the remake’s real length won’t be known until people finish it.
How long is the Ocarina of Time remake?
Nobody can tell you for sure yet. The remake launches on November 5, so the only real numbers are for the versions that are already out. HowLongToBeat, where players log their own completion times, has hundreds of entries for both of those, and they land in the same place.
| Version | Main story | Main plus extras | Completionist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo 64 (1998) | 26.8 hours | 30.3 hours | 37.3 hours |
| Nintendo 3DS (2011) | 25.1 hours | 31.3 hours | 38.4 hours |
The N64 figures come from 502 players for the main story and 357 for completionist runs. The 3DS figures come from 694 and 364. Those are averages, so a first-timer who gets stuck in a dungeon will take longer, and someone replaying it from memory will take less.
The middle column is where most people end up. Main plus extras means the story plus whatever side content catches your eye on the way, like the fishing pond or the long trading quest for the Biggoron Sword. On both earlier versions that adds roughly four to six hours.
If the remake keeps the same dungeons and the same world, the safest estimate is around 25 to 30 hours for the story, and the high 30s if you’re going for everything.
Will the remake take longer than the original?
Probably not by much, and here’s why. Series producer Eiji Aonuma told VGC he was surprised to see how few changes the team actually made, despite having the freedom to make more. The story and the dungeons are the same adventure.
The biggest change that would have shortened it was cut. In a Nintendo Ask the Developer interview reported by GamesRadar, Aonuma said he asked the team to add Breath of the Wild-style warp points. When they played it, “we realized that we were missing out on the moments of discovery that came from stopping along the way”. So he had them take the warp points back out again.
What’s left could still shave off some time. In the same interview, Aonuma said that in the original “a lot of players spent their time doggedly rolling across Hyrule Field whenever they needed to be somewhere in a hurry”. In the remake Link can simply run, and he can jump. Threads of Time lets you check your story progress and next objective at any point, which should cut the time people lose wondering where to go next. I went through the full list in my guide to the Ocarina of Time remake changes, so I won’t repeat it here.
There’s also new stuff to do. The Hall of Fallen Foes lets you “discover more about enemies they’ve defeated”, in Nintendo’s words, and tapping Zelda amiibo gives in-game extras. None of that is needed to finish the story, so it’s more likely to affect a completionist run than the main one.
How long does it take to 100% Ocarina of Time?
Around 37 to 38 hours on the earlier versions, going by HowLongToBeat. That means the main story plus the side content: the hidden collectibles, the extra heart pieces, the masks and the side quests most people only half finish.
I can assure you I didn’t 100% the game. Back in the day of Ocarina of Time, it was gaming magazines where you got tips and tricks for how to get through games. And as someone that grew up without the means to be buying all of them, and generally not the gaming prowess to 100% games in the first place, I didn’t get there. I would assume I actually replayed the game a lot, rather than 100%ing it. That would be a better guess of what I did.
Will I 100% the remake? Also no. I just don’t have the time.
Is the Ocarina of Time remake worth $59.99?
The remake costs $59.99 digitally on the Switch 2, and the physical version has been listed at $69.99. At around 27 hours for the story, that’s a bit over $2 an hour, which is normal for a game at that price.
I mean, this is the price most games are. Is it a game that people are going to enjoy in 2026 that is worth the remake? Unsure. Because I just don’t know if it fits with how people play. I think a lot of people playing the remake are just going to be people like me that are going for the nostalgia bait. And we’re going to be people that have jobs that should be able to do $60, right? So, unsure.
The price has come up a lot because of what it’s launching next to. GTA 6 is out two weeks later, and we covered how the Zelda remake takes on GTA 6 for the same holiday money.
When can you start playing the Ocarina of Time remake?
It comes out on November 5, 2026, on Nintendo Switch 2 only. Nintendo’s store page lists an estimated 27 GB download, so it’s worth clearing some space before launch night. For the exact unlock time in your region, Larc’s release date guide has the full list.
If you’re new to the series, Nintendo pitches the remake as a good starting point, and it was first confirmed for Switch 2 back in June.
FAQ
How long is the Ocarina of Time remake?
It isn’t out yet, but the original takes about 27 hours to beat and the 3DS version about 25, according to HowLongToBeat. The remake should land close to that.
How long does it take to 100% Ocarina of Time?
About 37 hours for the N64 original and 38 hours for the 3DS version.
Does the Ocarina of Time remake have fast travel?
No. Nintendo tried adding warp points, then removed them because they skipped the moments of discovery between places.
When does the Ocarina of Time remake come out?
November 5, 2026, on Nintendo Switch 2.
How much does the Ocarina of Time remake cost?
$59.99 digitally. The physical version has been listed at $69.99.
