The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to release this Friday, May 12, but some players may want a more exact release time. This title is releasing just over six years after Breath of the Wild’s release, which coincided with the launch of the Nintendo Switch. Here’s exactly when you can play Tears of the Kingdom and explore the changed world of Hyrule for yourself.
What Time Does Tears of the Kingdom Release?
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be released at midnight in eastern time on May 12, 2023. The following times correspond with each region of the US for when the game will be available.
- 12:00 AM EDT
- 11:00 PM CDT
- 9:00 PM PDT
For all other countries, your digital copy of Tears of the Kingdom will unlock at midnight in your region’s time zone.
There are ways to get your hands on the game early, which will require you to head over to a different region’s eShop. You can do this by creating an account in either the New Zealand or Japan region, as those regions will give you the most extra playing time in the United States.
Can You Preload Tears of the Kingdom?
Yes, you can indeed preload the game now. While you won’t be able to access it until it unlocks in your region, Tears of the Kingdom can be ready to go with no additional download once the clock strikes midnight in your region.
This is extremely handy as you won’t need to wait for the download to commence when the game is officially out, but rather only connect to the internet to check if the game can be played.
How Big is Tears of the Kingdom?
You can expect to see Tears of the Kingdom preload with a total of just over 16GB. For standard Switch or Switch Lite owners without a MicroSD card, this could pose a significant issue if your storage is already filled.
That’s all you need to know about the Tears of the Kingdom release time! Enjoy exploring Hyrule with this fresh new take.
