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Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TotK)

Preload Date and Guide: How to Preload

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Zelda TOTK - Preload Date and Guide How to Preload
Preload The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TotK) now to play the game immediately at 12 midnight on the day of its release! Read on to learn how to preload the game, the preload requirements, and the downloadable file size of the game.

Is Preload Available?

Preload is Now Available as of April 26, 2023

Zelda TotK - Preload is Now Available
As of April 26, 2023, you can now preload Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom once you have pre-ordered it from the Nintendo eShop.

Pre-Order Bonuses and How to Pre-Order

Benefits of Preloading

Zelda TotK - Benefits of Preloading
Preloading Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will let you play the game immediately at 12 midnight of the day of its release!

If you have been waiting for the next installment of the Zelda franchise, preloading is the way to go!

When Does the Breath of the Wild Sequel Come Out?

How to Preload Tears of the Kingdom

Preload from the Nintendo eShop

How to Preload from the Nintendo eShop
1
Select the Nintendo eShop on your Nintendo Switch home page.
2
Find The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom by searching via the search bar or by going to the "Coming Soon" section.
3 Select The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom full version.
4 Select Proceed to Purchase. (Download will start after confirming the purchase)

What to Do If You Cannot Play After Preload

Wait 1-2 Minutes and Try Again

When you start playing the game during its midnight release, you may come across an error that tells you that you cannot play the software yet.

You may need to wait for a few minutes before starting the game to fix this.

Tears of the Kingdom Preload FIle Size

Required Space is 16 GB

Nintendo Switch microSD card
File Size 16 GB

Make sure your Switch has enough memory space available for the game before preloading. If your memory is near full, you might need to delete other game data, or prepare a microSD card to store more.

How to check for available free space

How to Check Space in the Switch
1
Select Settings from the Home menu.
2
Navigate to the Data Management to check your Switch's available space in the System Memory and microSD card.

Examples of games with large file size

Game Required Space
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 16 GB or more
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 13.4 GB
Pokemon Sword and Shield 10.3 GB
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 6.8 GB
Super Mario Odyssey 5.7 GB

The following games in the above table use about 26GB of file size. When installed in the Switch's internal memory, this leaves the console with at least 6GB of free space. Note that this does not include the space reserved for use by the console, so the actual free space may be lower.

MicroSD Card May Be Required

If your Switch does not have free space to download the digital version of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, consider purchasing a MicroSD card to increase its capacity.

When purchasing a MicroSD card, be sure to choose one that is compatible with the Nintendo Switch.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Related News

TOTK - News Partial Banner

Latest News and Updates

Related News for Tears of the Kingdom

Patch Notes and Updates

Version 1.4.2 Update Patch Notes
Version 1.4.1 Update Patch Notes
Version 1.4.0 Update Patch Notes
Version 1.2.1 Update Patch Notes
Version 1.2.0 Update Patch Notes
Version 1.1.2 Update Patch Notes
Version 1.1.1 Update Patch Notes

Other News

All Voice Actors Cast Is Tears of the Kingdom the Last Zelda Game?
Is Demise Returning? Final Trailer: Everything We Learned
Release Date: When Does TotK Come Out? DLC Guide: Will There Be an Expansion Pass?
Story Summary and Timeline Placement Easter Eggs and Secrets
New Features and Gameplay Changes from BotW Champion Successor and Descendants Confirmed to Return
Is the Hookshot a Usable Item? Will There Be a Demo?
Why Is the Master Sword Broken? Play Time: How Long to Beat Tears of the Kingdom?
Who are the Zonai? Where is Yunobo? Why is Daruk's Successor Missing?
What Happened to the Divine Beasts? Where is Kass?
Are Hearty Durians Still in the Game? List of Official Trailers and Gameplay Footage

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