Wind Waker Switch 2 Nintendo Switch Online access requires Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. The original GameCube adventure is included in Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics on Switch 2, so Expansion Pack members can play it without purchasing Wind Waker separately.
Nintendo added The Wind Waker when the GameCube Classics app launched on 5 June 2025. This is the original GameCube release, not the Wii U remaster Wind Waker HD. Standard Nintendo Switch Online alone won’t unlock the GameCube collection.
How to get Wind Waker Switch 2 Nintendo Switch Online
On your Nintendo Switch 2, sign in to the Nintendo Account with an active Expansion Pack membership. Open Nintendo eShop or the Nintendo Switch Online Classics section, download Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics, then launch the app and select The Wind Waker.
If the app asks you to upgrade, check which membership tier you’re using. Expansion Pack is required for GameCube titles. Wind Waker isn’t a separate paid download within this library, and access remains tied to your membership.
Wind Waker Switch 2 Nintendo Switch Online UK subscription price
For UK players, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack costs £34.99 for 12 months individually. A family membership costs £59.99 for 12 months and covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts in one family group. Standard individual Switch Online is £17.99 annually, but doesn’t include GameCube games.
Those prices buy the subscription, not permanent ownership of The Wind Waker. If you already subscribe to the basic tier, Nintendo offers a membership-upgrade process; check the purchase screen for the price applicable to your account.
Is this Wind Waker HD or the GameCube original?
The Classics version is based on the original 2002/2003 GameCube game. Nintendo says the app reproduces its GameCube releases at higher resolution and with clearer images than the original console, but it is not the separately released Wind Waker HD for Wii U.
You’ll recognise the GameCube game’s cel-shaded look, story and sailing gameplay. The better image presentation comes from the Classics app rather than a new remaster with redesigned quests or new content.
Do you need a GameCube controller for Wind Waker?
No. The app works with compatible Switch 2 controls. Nintendo’s optional GameCube-style wireless controller is available if you prefer the original button layout, and you can customise control assignments in the Classics app.
The GameCube library supports multiplayer in titles designed for it, but Wind Waker is single-player. Neither GameChat nor the app’s multiplayer options give it a new online co-op mode.
Wind Waker Switch 2 Nintendo Switch Online download size
Nintendo lists 13.0 GB as the download size of the entire Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics app in the UK. It isn’t the standalone size of The Wind Waker. Leave enough space for the app, including any later software updates.
The GameCube Classics app is exclusive to Switch 2; the original Switch can’t run it. If you need extra storage, Switch 2 supports compatible microSD Express cards, which differ from the original Switch’s standard microSD cards.
How do saving and subscription access work?
You can make a suspend point in Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics when you need to stop. Nintendo’s support instructions say the Suspend Menu opens with the – Button on standard controls, or ZL when using its GameCube controller. Save the point and load it later from the same menu.
Wind Waker Switch 2 Nintendo Switch Online access depends on keeping Expansion Pack active. Having the app downloaded doesn’t mean the games remain playable after the membership ends.
Can you buy Wind Waker separately on Switch 2?
Nintendo offers Wind Waker through the GameCube Classics library. Its official app listing doesn’t offer a separate Wind Waker purchase through that service. If you prefer to own an individual Switch game, Link’s Awakening can be purchased separately and updated free on Switch 2.
For another subscription Zelda adventure, see our Majora’s Mask guide. That game runs through the Nintendo 64 Classics app and also needs Expansion Pack, but it works on original Switch as well as Switch 2.
Official source: Nintendo’s official Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics listing.
