The leaks were right. Nintendo has officially pulled back the curtain on the Legend of Zelda — 40th Anniversary Edition Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, and it’s every bit as good-looking as the packaging shots that circulated back in August suggested. Revealed during today’s Zelda 40th Anniversary Nintendo Direct alongside the Ocarina of Time remake gameplay showcase and a special edition Switch 2 console, this controller is one of the cleanest pieces of licensed gaming hardware Nintendo has put out in years.
Here’s everything you need to know about it — the design, what else launched alongside it, how it fits into the Switch 2 Pro Controller history, and when you can actually get your hands on one.
Release Date: October 29, 2026
The Zelda 40th Anniversary Pro Controller launches on October 29, 2026 — one week before The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake hits Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5. The timing is deliberate and pretty perfect for anyone who wants to have a dedicated piece of Zelda hardware ready for their playthrough of the remake. It’s also the same day as the special edition Zelda Switch 2 console, meaning the full hardware ecosystem launches together as one cohesive drop.
The Design: Breaking Down Every Detail
This controller earns the attention it’s already getting. Let’s go through what Nintendo put on this thing:
- One black grip, one green grip — the asymmetric colour split gives it a distinctive look that immediately reads as Zelda without going overboard
- Gold trigger buttons — premium finish that ties the whole colour palette together
- Gold faceplate featuring the Hylian Crest — the iconic shield of Hyrule, centred on the front of the controller in gold
- 8-bit pixel sprite of Link on the back — a direct nod to the original 1986 NES Legend of Zelda game, with Link raising his sword. A genuinely lovely retro touch for longtime fans
- Triforce patterns throughout — echoing the design language on the matching Switch 2 console
The overall aesthetic lands somewhere between collector’s item and daily driver — it doesn’t feel like something you’d be scared to touch, but it’s clearly a step above the standard black Pro Controller. Compared to the Tears of the Kingdom Pro Controller for the original Switch, which used black and white grips with subtle gold Zonai-inspired decoration, this version is significantly more expressive. The green grip alone makes it pop in a way the TotK controller never quite did.
The Exclusive Nintendo Store Bonus
If you’re buying directly from the Nintendo Store, there’s an extra incentive: a limited-edition Zelda-themed controller stand that comes with the Pro Controller exclusively through that channel. It’s the kind of small detail that makes the direct purchase feel worthwhile if you’re already planning to grab one, and the kind of thing that sells out fast. Worth keeping in mind if you’re serious about the full setup.
What Launched Alongside It
The Pro Controller wasn’t the only hardware drop at the 40th Anniversary Direct. Nintendo revealed a full suite of Zelda-themed products launching around the same window:
- The Legend of Zelda — 40th Anniversary Edition Nintendo Switch 2 console — launching the same day as the controller (October 29), featuring two green Joy-Con controllers with Triforce patterns and a black and gold dock with a golden Triforce design on its face. It does not appear to come bundled with the Ocarina of Time remake
- A Zelda-themed Switch 2 carrying case — matching the broader anniversary aesthetic
- Pro controllers and accessories — Nintendo is going all-in on making the 40th anniversary a proper collector moment
Beyond hardware, the Direct also confirmed a new worldwide Zelda concert tour, a new LEGO set featuring Link and Epona, and two new amiibo figures — Young Link and Young Zelda, based on the Ocarina of Time remake — though those amiibo won’t ship until 2027.
Where This Sits in Switch 2 Pro Controller History
Here’s a stat that puts this release in context: the Switch 2 has been out for over a year, and this is only the third variant of the Switch 2 Pro Controller ever released. The base model came at launch, and the only other special edition was the Resident Evil Requiem controller — which had a more restrained, horror-adjacent aesthetic. This Zelda controller is the first special edition Switch 2 Pro Controller based on a Nintendo first-party franchise, which makes it genuinely historic in a small but meaningful way.
For comparison, the original Switch received Zelda-themed hardware love regularly — the Tears of the Kingdom OLED console, the TotK Pro Controller, and various accessories across the series’ history. The Switch 2 era is just getting started on that front, and this is the opening statement. It’s a strong one.
How It Ties Into the Ocarina of Time Remake
Beyond the obvious — having a gorgeous controller to play the remake with — there’s a functional connection too. Players will be able to scan amiibo figures using the Pro Controller, which becomes relevant given that the newly announced Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo (arriving in 2027) unlock special retro-style cosmetic masks in the game. Having the 40th Anniversary Pro Controller in hand for that scan feels like completing a set.
The Ocarina of Time remake itself adds several new features that make a Pro Controller particularly appealing for the playthrough: manual jumping with a dedicated button, free camera movement in areas like Hyrule Castle Town that previously had a fixed perspective, improved item swapping via shoulder buttons, and the ability to hum songs into the Switch 2 microphone to perform ocarina melodies in-game. It’s a richer control scheme than the original N64 game ever had, and the Pro Controller gives you the full layout to take advantage of it. For the complete breakdown on every new feature in the remake, check out our Zelda Ocarina of Time remake full reveal coverage.
Should You Get This Over the Standard Pro Controller?
If you’re a Zelda fan — and the fact that you’re reading this suggests you probably are — the answer is almost certainly yes, assuming stock holds. The design is genuinely excellent, the 8-bit Link Easter egg on the back is a wonderful touch for anyone who’s been with this franchise since the beginning, and the timing with the remake launch makes it feel intentional rather than arbitrary.
The bigger question is whether you should also grab the special edition Switch 2 console. That depends on whether you already own the hardware. If you’re a new Switch 2 buyer or someone who missed the launch window, the Zelda 40th Anniversary console is a compelling entry point. If you already have a Switch 2 — including potentially the new EU battery revision model that just started shipping — you’ll probably just want the controller and the carrying case. For a full look at what changed in the revised hardware, see our Switch 2 EU battery revision teardown.
October 29 is the date to mark. The controller drops one week before the game. It would be a shame to play one of the most anticipated remakes in Nintendo history on a plain black controller when this exists.
