Tears of the Kingdom is right around the corner, with many players ready to go on launch day, but the exact time the new Legend of Zelda game will be playable varies depending on your region.
Fortunately, we’ve broken down when you can expect Tears of the Kingdom to be playable so you can jump straight into Hyrule and begin your exciting new adventure.
What Time Does Tears of the Kingdom Become Playable?
Nintendo has confirmed that Tears of the Kingdom will become playable at the following times:
- 9 PM Pacific (May 11)
- 10 PM Mountain (May 11)
- 11 PM Central (May 11)
- 12 AM Eastern (May 12)
While Nintendo hasn’t confirmed the release time elsewhere in the world, Tears of the Kingdom will likely launch at midnight locally.
This applies to both digital and physical versions, so long as you manage to grab a physical copy early at GameStop’s midnight launch.
It is worth noting that the midnight launch across the globe means you can play Tears of the Kingdom a day early with the New Zealand trick!
Countdown to Tears of the Kingdom Release Time
| Time Zone | Countdown |
| NZT (New Zealand) | |
| AET (Australia) | |
| JST (Japan) | |
| CET (Europe) | |
| BST (UK) | |
| ET (East Coast US) | |
| CT (Illinois) | |
| MT (Colorado) | |
| PT (West Coast US) |
Of course, make sure to preload Tears of the Kingdom right now so that it’s ready to go when it launches in your time zone.
Tears of the Kingdom “You Cannot Play This Software Yet.”
If you get the error “You Cannot Play This Software Yet” when trying to start Tears of the Kingdom, it is likely because the game has not been released yet in your region.
However, if the problem persists despite the game having officially released, try the following:
- Restart your Nintendo Switch. Remove it from the dock and then hold down the power button located at the top of the console.
- Reboot your router. It could be that the issue is with a weak internet connection preventing your Switch from confirming the license.
- Reinstall Tears of the Kingdom. As a last resort, attempting to reinstall the game is likely to fix this issue. Just make sure that the game has definitely been officially released in your region before doing this.
