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Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: release time, file size, and preload options

By Jesse Lennox Published May 11, 2023

The Demon King Ganondorf is back and Link is the only hero that can save Hyrule (again) in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, launching tomorrow on Nintendo Switch. The highly anticipated sequel to Breath of the Wild, the m ost popular Zelda titles and one of the greatest games of all time, features the same massive world of Hyrule, classic enemies, and fan-favorite weapons but with new powers an abilities.

Like its predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom is a game that you can easily get lost in and spend hundreds of hours exploring without finding all of its secrets. If you’re itching to save this version of Hyrule, it’s surely taken a lot of patience to wait this long for the sequel to launch. Ee can’t make it come any faster, but we can at least tell you exactly what time time you can play Tears of the Kingdom and how to download the game early.

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom release time

Zelda holds a tear-shaped object in her hand in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's final trailer. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will become available to play starting at 9 p.m. PT on May 11 or 12 a.m. ET on May 12 depending on your timezone.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom file size

Link climbs a cliff in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re downloading Tears of the Kingdom, you won’t have too large of a file to deal with. The game is currently 16.2GB in size.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom preload options

Link floats in a water bubble in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Preloading for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom began May 5 for digital owners. That gives players a full week to complete the relatively small download and be ready to play when the full game unlocks.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom preorder details

Link flying through air in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. — Nintendo

While there is only one edition of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to get, you can preorder it at various retailers that offer their own exclusive bonuses, such as a print from Best Buy and a plaque from GameStop. No matter where you preorder, the game will cost you $70. If you want to spend more, you can also look to get the limited edition Switch OLED, Pro Controler, or Amiibo, however, none of these come with a copy of the game.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrives exclusively on the Nintendo Switch on May 12.

Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over five years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…

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Star Wars Outlaws preload guide: release time, file size, and preorder

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The First Descendant release time

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The First Descendant file size
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The First Descendant preload options

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Homeworld 3 preload guide: release time, file size, and preorder

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Homeworld 3 release time
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Homeworld 3 file size

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Homeworld 3 preload options
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Homeworld 3 preorder details