The Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time adds a new way to play Link’s instrument. Alongside the classic button prompts, the game listens through the Switch 2’s built-in microphone and turns your own humming, singing, or a real-world instrument into the notes Link plays on screen.
Quick answer: Bring out the ocarina in-game, then hum, sing, or play the melody near the Switch 2 mic. When the “inputting audio” prompt appears, the console reads your notes and Link repeats them on his instrument, activating the matching song.
Three ways to play the ocarina in the remake
Series producer Eiji Aonuma showed the feature during the Zelda 40th Anniversary Nintendo Direct. He played a song with the buttons first, then repeated it by humming, and finally played it on a real ocarina. All three methods trigger the same in-game result.
| Input method | How it works |
|---|---|
| Button prompts | Press the note buttons in sequence, exactly as in the 1998 original. |
| Voice | Hum or sing the melody into the Switch 2 mic; the game matches the notes. |
| Real instrument | Play the tune on an ocarina or other instrument held near the mic. |
How humming into the Switch 2 mic works
In the demonstration, Aonuma hummed Zelda’s Lullaby and the game registered the tune, then he played Epona’s Song on a physical ocarina, and it worked the same way.
Using a real ocarina and other instruments
If you would rather not hum, the mic also responds to actual instruments played nearby. Nintendo is releasing a physical Ocarina of Time ocarina, made by peripheral maker Hori, intended for exactly this purpose. Hori is also producing an electric ocarina.
The official ocarina is planned to sell alongside the remake, though a separate release date for the peripheral has not been confirmed. In principle, any instrument the mic can hear clearly, such as a wind instrument, should be able to feed notes into the game.
The remake also supports the Zelda Notes app, which lets you play a virtual ocarina as another option.
Other changes and release details
Beyond the music input, the remake updates the controls to modern standards. Link now has a dedicated jump button, and the original’s fixed camera angles are replaced with a fully controllable camera using the right analog stick. The art style moves toward a more detailed, stylized-realistic look compared with the Nintendo 64 original.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5, 2026. You can preorder it now from the official Nintendo store listing.
