The cheapest place to buy The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Tears of the Kingdom is the long-awaited sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which won numerous gaming accolades and high scores on sites such as Metacritic when released in 2017. We've rounded-up the best places to order it.

Nintendo Switch players were finally able to get their hands on a copy of the latest Legend of Zelda game, when it released on Friday 12 May.

Tears of the Kingdom won 'most-anticipated game' at the 2022 Game Awards. We can't comment on how good it is, as we don't review games, but can give buying advice on how to save money on it and explore whether it may be the best deal to buy a bundle.

What console is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on?

Since the game is a Nintendo exclusive, it's only available on Nintendo's current flagship consoles: the Nintendo Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite.

The game will not release on Nintendo's other older consoles, the 3DS or the WiiU. 

As Nintendo closed the eShops of both the 3DS and WiiU at the end of March 2023, new Nintendo releases will likely only be available on the Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite. 

When will Tears of the Kingdom go on sale?

Tears of the Kingdom likely won't cost less than launch price from most retailers for quite some time. Since a new, physical copy of Breath of the Wild (released in 2017) still sells for around £45 from third-party sellers and doesn't go on sale as much as other Nintendo games, we can probably expect similar prices for Tears of the Kingdom.

We can't say for sure when Tears of the Kingdom will go on sale, but we wouldn't be surprised if some deals popped up in the larger seasonal sales. 

If you're looking to save some money more immediately, you can keep an eye out for second-hand physical copies of the game for a cheaper price. Just remember those might not come with a returns policy or warranty though.

Should you order Tears of the Kingdom?

On the whole, Zelda games fare extremely well from critics and gamers – especially main-series Zelda games, which Tears of the Kingdom is. On Metacritic, even the lowest-scored Zelda game, Tri Force Heroes, still scores decently with a 73 out of 100 Metascore. Tears of the Kingdom is already seeing positive reviews, too.

Whether or not you should order the game boils down to a pretty simple question: did you like Breath of the Wild?

Tears of the Kingdom is very similar to Breath of the Wild in terms of gameplay, with a lot of shared game mechanics and systems. 

If Breath of the Wild was your favourite Zelda game of all time: you'll probably love Tears of the Kingdom – we'd recommend ordering it.

If you despised running around Breath of the Wild's Hyrule constantly trying to replace your broken weapons: we'd recommend maybe passing on this one.

Before purchasing any game, we'd highly recommend reading reviews from critics, gaming publications, and from gamers.

Read our advice on how to buy used video games.

The cheapest place to order Tears of the Kingdom

Tears of the Kingdom is available from most retailers who sell games. Out of the dozens of retailers selling the game, we've found these are cheapest deals:

• Smyths Toys is one of the cheapest places to order from, selling Tears of the Kingdom for £47.99 with options for click and collect to any UK store or free home delivery.
  
• Amazon has lowered their price for Tears of the Kingdom to £47.99, which you can order for free delivery if you subscribe to Amazon Prime.
• Asda sells Tears of the Kingdom for £48 for delivery only from £2.95.
• Hit.co.uk, formerly Base.com, is a budget games retailer out of Cheltenham. It's popular with gamers on Nintendo Switch forums and often do discounts on physical releases. You can currently pick up Tears of the Kingdom for £50.79 for delivery only. 

These might not be the biggest discounts, but new game releases are rarely discounted below the typical RRP of £59.99.

Should I order Tears of the Kingdom from ShopTo?

ShopTo, a Berkshire-based budget games retailer, is currently offering Tears of the Kingdom for £49.85. 

It's not the lowest price we've seen, but it is still cheaper than RRP. However, before you order from them, know that some reviews of the company indicate towards poor customer service and game pre-orders taking longer to deliver.

While it has Tears of the Kingdom discounted, we can't guarantee you'll have the best experience. We would recommend buying the game from Asda, Hit.co.uk, or Smyth's Toys instead.

Does the Currys offer code for Tears of the Kingdom still work?

Currys had a pre-order deal where you could use code 'ZEDLA20' to get 20% off of the game. Unfortunately, now that Tears of the Kingdom has launched, this code has stopped working. 

Where else to buy Tears of the Kingdom

Below, you can check for the best price of Tears of the Kingdom from other major retailers:

Are gaming chairs worth it? Read our review on the best gaming chairs.

Where to buy the special edition Switch OLED, Pro Controller or carrying case

As a part of the release of Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo is released a special edition Switch OLED that features designs from the game printed onto the JoyCons, dock and console.

The special edition Switch OLED costs £10 more than the regular Switch OLED, which isn't new for Nintendo. All special edition consoles that are released ahead of popular games have always cost slightly more than base models. 

Nintendo also released a special edition Switch carrying case and pro controller that feature similar designs. Both are also slightly more expensive than their regular counterparts. 

The special edition Switch OLED costs £319.99. Since it's a new console, there won't be much variation in price.

You can order the Zelda Tears of the Kingdom special edition Switch online from these retailers:

• Currys (£319.99)
• Game.co.uk (£319.99)
• Smyths Toys (£319.99)

Or check prices from Amazon below:

At time of writing, most major retailers are currently out of stock for both the pro controller and the carrying case.

Can I buy the special edition Zelda Switch OLED directly from Nintendo?

Now that the game has launched, you can buy the special edition Switch OLED direct from Nintendo for £319.99. 

What is the difference between a Nintendo Switch, Switch OLED, Switch Lite and the special edition Switch OLED?

Nintendo's three models of its flagship console are extremely similar at their core. They offer similar levels of gaming performance but have slight differences when it comes to their screens, functionalities and prices.

• The Nintendo Switch is the base model of Switch. It comes with a dock you can use to play games on your TV and outputs to 1080p. You can use it as a handheld, as a TV console or propped up on a table using the built-in kickstand. It comes with 32 gigabytes of internal storage. A new Switch typically costs £259.99.

You can check prices from retailers below:

• Think of the OLED model as a souped-up Switch. The Switch OLED differs from the other models by having a 7-inch OLED screen. It has better speakers, more internal storage, a more adjustable kickstand and can be hooked up to a wired ethernet through its dock. It still outputs at 1080p onto TVs, like the regular Switch. You can expect to pay around £309.99 for one.

You can check prices from retailers below:

• The Switch Lite is a Switch that's more focused on the handheld capabilities of the console. It's the cheapest but it has a smaller screen, can't connect to TVs and doesn't come with a dock like the other two models. It comes with 32 gigabytes of internal storage. A Switch Lite will typical set you back £199.99

You can check prices from retailers below:

All Switch models can have their storage expanded with a mirco-SD card to fit two terabytes of games.

Where can I buy Tears of the Kingdom as a bundle with a Switch?

Both Box and Game offer a 'bundle' on the game and the special edition Switch OLED, but you won't be saving any money – they're both still full price.

Buying the bundle from Game will set you back £379.98. Ordering a bundle from Box is slightly cheaper at £369.99.

Amazon is now selling a bundle including the special edition Switch OLED and the game for £368.99 – scoring you a slightly cheaper deal when compared to other retailers.

Now that Tears of the Kingdom has launched, Nintendo may start to include the game as a bundle when you buy a Switch. Looking again to Breath of the Wild as an example, it can come bundled with each model of Switch and a case. 

Typical prices for a bundle like this would be £359.99 for the game, some accessories, and a regular Switch OLED; £319.99 with a regular Switch; and finally £259.99 with a Switch Lite. So the bundles from Game and Box aren't very good bargains.

You can buy bundles like this both directly from Nintendo and from retailers such as Game, Amazon, Currys, John Lewis, and Smyths Toys. 

Should I play Breath of the Wild first?

Yes, absolutely. There's a reason it scored so well on Metacritic: it's a great game.

The entire Legend of Zelda series jumps all over the place with different timelines, thousand-year time jumps, and main character Link being simultaneously a child and adult – it's way above our paygrade here at Which? to get too into it. We're here to be the hero of good consumer advice, not delve into our fan-theories on the Hero of Time.

Luckily, you can get away with just playing Breath of the Wild and not all 19 Zelda games prior to Tears of the Kingdom. Although, if you have favourites – definitely play those. 

The Nintendo Switch has the remake of Skyward Sword (HD version), the remake of Link's Awakening (released in 2019), plus the two Hyrule Warriors spin-off games available on the Switch eShop.

Where to buy other Legend of Zelda games

You can still pick up Legend of Zelda games directly from Nintendo either physically or from the Nintendo eShop. The Skyward Sword HD remake and the Link's Awakening remake are both available on Switch only. 

Plus, if you subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online you can play classic Zelda titles such as A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.

You can always pick up second-hand or even brand new copies of Zelda games and Nintendo consoles at retailers like CeX, Music Magpie, Game, your local games stores – even charity shops sometimes have them.

Unfortunately, as of 27 March 2023 Nintendo has stopped supporting new purchases on the eShop for the 3DS and WiiU. This means you can no longer buy digital copies of releases such as the HD remasters of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker on the WiiU.

However, you can still download games you've already bought and some updates are still being supported.

 How to buy second-hand games and consoles

One of the easiest ways to get the best price on games is to buy second-hand. Even waiting a few weeks after a popular launch you can find people trying to sell their games or systems once they've finished playing them. 

Here's our advice on how to not get ripped off when rummaging for your favourite games.

Second-hand games

When buying second-hand games, take a look at the disc or cartridge before you buy. 

Make sure there are little to no scratches on the disc and check to make sure any contacts on cartridges aren't corroded or damaged. 

If you have a console with you – especially a handheld one – ask if you can test the game to make sure it runs properly on your system. 

When buying from stores such as CeX, the games on sale are usually tested and in good condition, but it's always good to check before you buy.

Second-hand consoles

When going to buy a second-hand console, make sure it powers on before anything else. 

Next, check for signs of damage on both the chassis and controller: this includes cracks, wear and water damage. 

It sounds strange, but give it a sniff. If you smell something funky – like mold or cigarette smoke – there could be internal damage. Smoke and mold can cause damage to electronics, especially ones air-cooled by fans, like game consoles.

Take it for a test drive: is the game running how it's supposed to? How loud and fast are the fans spinning? If they're sounding too loud, that could mean they're clogged with dust or damaged. 

Is it overheating? All these are signs that something could be wrong with the console or that it could be damaged.

Finally, make sure the previous owner has signed out of any accounts and factory reset the device.

Read our advice on how to buy secondhand or refurbished laptops.