The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the sequel to the beloved Zelda: Breath of Wild, is getting closer and closer to its release date, making gamers restless about when they can get their hands on it.
Link and Princess Zelda will return to this free-world RPG again, ensuring a sense of familiarity wraps around you while you explore new adventures. Fans worldwide have high hopes for the sequel, and we hope Nintendo doesn’t ruin the hit project.
However, Nintendo is known for producing not-so-impressive sequels. The company has made first-class new games for years, but history shows their blunders with second installments. The biggest question, in this case, is whether Tears of the Kingdom can fill in the shoes of Breath of the Wild.
Some even claim that the new Zelda game is being released to divert attention from the absence of a new Nintendo console. The sequel will begin precisely where its predecessor left, and even those who have not played the previous Zelda can quickly adapt to the situation.
So let’s find out when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be available for download and when you can start playing the heck out of it.
Release Date and Time of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in Different Timezones
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be released at midnight on May 12, 2023. As of now, the game is probably already available for you. Here are the release date and times for different countries and time zones.
| Time and Date | Zones |
| May 11, 9 p.m. PDT | West Coast of North America |
| May 12, 12:01 a.m. EDT | East Coast of North America |
| May 12, 12:01 a.m. BST | The U.K. |
| May 12, 12:01 a.m. CEST | EU |
| May 12, 12:01 a.m. JST | Japan |
Can You Download Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom at Midnight?
Yes, you can download Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom at midnight on May 12, except on the West Coast of North America, where it will be available at 9 p.m. on May 11.
How Can You Download Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Early?
Due to timezone differences, the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game is available in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan earlier than in other countries. While this is a difference of mere hours, gamers are known to be impatient beings.
You can get the game early if you have a New Zealand eShop account. You can play the game early morning on May 10, which can be a huge advantage for some gamers.
The steps for receiving early access are to create a New Zealand eShop account and log into the Switch account. You need a New Zealand credit/debit card to verify downloading or purchasing digital eShop codes online. Redeem the cards in the eShop of the New Nintendo account.
Can You Pre-Load Zelda Tears of Kingdom?
Yes, you can pre-load Zelda Tears of Kingdom. Pre-loading a game means having it downloaded and ready before its release so that you can start playing immediately as the game goes live in your region.
To pre-load the game, follow the below instructions:
- Open the Nintendo eShop from the home page of Switch.
- The pre-order page for Tears of Kingdom will be available on the top left. You can pre-order the game from here.
- After pre-ordering the game, players will get the option of pre-loading it. Choose yes and complete pre-loading the game.
And now, you are ready to start playing as soon as the game launches without having to wait for hours for the game to download.
How Many GB Is Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? System Requirements
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is currently the biggest Zelda game, with a download size of 16.3 GB.
Below are the minimum and recommended PC requirements to play Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
| Minimum | Recommended | |
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-3470, 3.2 GHz or AMD Ryzen 3 1200, 3.1 GHz | Intel Core i7-4790, 3.6 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600, 3.2 GHz |
| Memory | 6 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, 2 GB or AMD Radeon RX 460, 2 GB | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT 6GB |
| Storage | 15 GB available space | Max 20 GB available space |
| 64-bit processor and operating system | ||
Do You Need to Finish Zelda: Breath of the Wild Before Playing Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?
You can play Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom without playing Breath of the Wild. A simple story recap will fill you up on the previous adventures of Link.
The timeline of Zelda isn’t rigid enough to make you play it right from the beginning. You can play the current release without missing out on its predecessor. However, Zelda’; Breath of the Wild is one of the biggest legends in the game world, and you should try not to miss out on it.
You will have no context of some evolutions and developments which have been explained in the first game since Tears of the Kingdom will be placed in the future.
Nonetheless, early players of the game have concluded that Tears of the Kingdom is better than expected. So have you downloaded the game yet? What are you waiting for? Get involved with the beautiful world of Hyrule, and tell us how it made you smile in the comments below.