Zelda Ocarina of Time Remake Controls: Switch 2 Buttons, Mic & Settings

Switch 2 default controls

The remake keeps the N64 layout's intent but adds a dedicated jump button, a free camera and a dash.Official

New player? Start with the Deku Tree route and opening tips, then come back here for the full button table.

A is the context button: talk, open, pull and interact all use it, and holding it dashes.

This is the default layout documented for the Switch 2 release. Button prompts can be changed in the settings, so if a row here does not match your copy, trust the in-game controls screen — it is always the final authority.

What changed from the N64 and 3DS versions

Three changes matter more than the rest:

1. Jump is a real button. In the N64 original Link jumped automatically at set ledges. Now you press X anywhere, which also means you can fall anywhere. Turn the camera, judge the gap, then jump.
2. The camera is free. The right stick rotates the camera instead of snapping it behind Link. Spin it around in caves before walking, so you do not miss a side passage or a platform overhead.
3. You can sprint. Holding A dashes. It covers ground fast, but it is not invulnerability — running into an enemy still costs a heart.

The jump attack defaults to two steps: jump, then attack. If you prefer the original one-button jump attack, the option is in the settings.

Ocarina: buttons, humming and the mic setting

The ocarina accepts button input, or you can hum a learned melody into the Switch 2 microphone and Link will play it.Official

There are two ways to play, and they use the same song list:

• Buttons. Press D-pad left to bring out the ocarina, then play the notes. This is the reliable option during a timed puzzle.
• Microphone. Hum a song you have already learned into the Joy-Con 2 or Pro Controller microphone, or play it on a real instrument held near the mic. The HORI Electric Ocarina of Time is the officially licensed option if you want a physical ocarina.

The setting is called Ocarina Mic Input. In the build checked before launch it was set to None, so humming does nothing until you turn it on. If you want to hum, switch it on before you sit down to learn songs, not in the middle of a puzzle.

Two extra details worth knowing:

• Button input never goes away. If the microphone misreads your pitch, switch back to buttons. Nothing is locked behind humming.
• Two input styles. You can use a two-handed mode like the 3DS version or a one-handed mode closer to the N64 layout.

The full song list, with warp destinations and a learning order, is in the ocarina songs guide.

Settings to change before the first dungeon

Most of these are personal preference, but the first four are worth setting once and forgetting:

• Motion control aiming. Switches tilt aiming on or off. Turn it off if you play handheld or in a moving vehicle.
• Camera invert horizontal / vertical. Flips each camera axis. Set both before the first boss, not during the fight.
• Camera rotation speed. How fast the right stick turns the camera. Raise it slightly if caves feel cramped.
• ZL targeting: hold or toggle. Hold ZL to lock on, or tap once to toggle. Toggle is easier in long fights where you also work the camera.
• HUD mode. Normal (full HUD), Pro (minimal) or Master (no HUD). Normal is the right first run; Master is for clean screenshots.
• Subtitles and speaker names. Turns subtitles on or off and shows who is speaking. Useful if you play with voice audio low.
• Voice language. The spoken dialogue language. Pick it before the opening; the cutscenes are voiced.
• GL / GR assignment. Extra buttons on a Pro Controller or the Joy-Con 2 charging grip. Hold the HOME button to remap them.

Tips that save time

1. Practise the dash in open ground. Caves are narrow and the dash overshoots easily. Walk first, accelerate once you can see the floor ahead.
2. Spin the camera before every doorway. The free camera is the biggest quality-of-life change in the remake, and it is also the easiest thing to forget.
3. Use toggle targeting for bosses. Holding ZL while also moving the camera is awkward; toggle frees your thumb.
4. Check the HUD mode before a collectible run. Pro keeps the item slots visible without the full overlay, which makes Heart Piece hunting less cluttered.
5. Keep buttons as your fallback. If mic input stops recognising you, do not restart the song — switch to buttons and finish it.

If a control does not respond

Some rows in the default layout come from pre-release footage. If a button does nothing, check the in-game controls screen before assuming the game is broken.

• Jump or attack does nothing. You may be in a cutscene, a dialogue, or a context where the action is disabled. Wait for the prompt to return.
• The ocarina will not accept humming. Confirm Ocarina Mic Input is on, move somewhere quiet, and check that the song is already learned. Then try buttons.
• The camera feels wrong. Check both inversion axes and the rotation speed. A single axis left inverted is the usual culprit.
• ZL does nothing in a fight. Confirm you are not already locked on; press again to release before targeting a different enemy.

Once the layout is set, the next thing worth reading is the collectibles guide, which uses the camera and the ocarina constantly.