To turn off motion aiming in the Ocarina of Time remake, press the + Button, move to the System tab, choose Options, and switch Motion-Control Aiming off. From then on the slingshot, the bow, the Hookshot and the game’s other aimed tools point only where the sticks send them, and the targeting button still snaps a shot onto an enemy.
Nintendo built the setting in on purpose. Its store page says ranged weapons “like the Fairy Bow and the Hookshot can be aimed through button controls or through motion controls,” and that you pick which in the Options menu. Below we cover the steps, what changes when it is off, and why handheld players have the strongest reason to flip it.
How to Turn Off Motion Aiming
- Press + during play to open the menu.
- Press L or R until the System tab is highlighted, then select Options.
- Find Motion-Control Aiming, under the camera settings, and switch it to Off.
- Back out of the menu with B and draw any aimed item to check: the reticle should now hold still when you tilt the controller.
Turning it back on is the same steps in reverse. There is one switch for the whole game, not one per play mode, so if you swap between handheld and the TV you change it yourself.
Nothing in the adventure needs motion. Nintendo’s store page lists “Playable without Motion Controls” among the game’s accessibility features, so switching it off never locks you out of a puzzle, a minigame or a boss.
Which Items It Affects
Motion-control aiming only matters while you are aiming. Nintendo names these:
| Item | Who uses it | What it aims at |
|---|---|---|
| Fairy Slingshot | Young Link | Distant switches, eyes and enemies, from the Deku Tree onward |
| Fairy Bow | Adult Link | The same jobs at longer range, plus the magic arrows |
| Hookshot | Adult Link | Targets you pull yourself toward |
Nintendo’s own description adds “other tools” to that list, so expect anything that brings up an aiming reticle to follow the same setting. Fire, Ice and Light Arrows are fired from the bow, so they aim the same way the bow does. Our items guide for the original game lists every tool and upgrade, and our guide to where the bow is covers where adult Link picks up the Fairy Bow in the original.
The ocarina is not part of this. Playing songs into the Switch 2’s microphone is a separate option, and Nintendo’s Japanese support page says that one is off by default.
How Aiming Works With It Off
Aiming in the remake stays third-person. In Nintendo’s gameplay demonstration, the slingshot raises a reticle over Link’s shoulder, and its item card pairs ZR with a hold-and-release prompt: hold the button to aim, let go to fire. With motion aiming off, you move that reticle with the sticks alone, the method Nintendo calls button controls.
The faster option is the lock-on. Press ZL to target an enemy, then aim, and the reticle snaps straight onto it. In the same demonstration, Eiji Aonuma uses exactly this on a Skulltula, saying the targeting button lets you “aim pretty quickly and fire.” Free aiming with the sticks covers the rest, such as the eye switch Aonuma shoots inside the Great Deku Tree to open the way back.
Two other settings in Options change how this feels:
- Targeting type: Hold keeps the lock only while ZL is held, and Toggle locks with one press and releases with a second. Toggle frees a finger for long archery fights.
- Camera settings: the invert and rotation speed options in our camera settings guide are the place to start if the view turns the wrong way or too slowly for you.
Handheld vs Docked
Motion aiming reads the motion sensors in your controller, which is why the play mode matters:
- Handheld: the Joy-Con 2 are attached to the console, so motion aiming means tilting the whole system and the screen with it. This is the strongest case for turning it off.
- TV or tabletop mode: you hold detached Joy-Con 2 or a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, so only the controller moves while the screen stays put. This is where motion aiming is easiest to live with.
If Motion Aiming Drifts Instead
If you like motion aiming but the reticle creeps when you hold still, recalibrate before you give up on it. Nintendo’s support page on calibrating the controllers on Nintendo Switch 2 gives the steps: open System Settings from the HOME Menu, choose Controllers and Accessories, select Calibrate Motion Controls, then Calibrate Controllers, hold the minus or plus button on the controller, and set it on a flat surface with the stick facing up. Joy-Con 2 have to be detached from the console for this. Nintendo’s troubleshooting page also suggests running Update Controllers from that same menu first.
For everything else that changed in the remake’s controls, see our what’s changed guide, and every Ocarina of Time guide we have is on our Zelda hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you turn off motion controls in the Ocarina of Time remake?
Press +, move to the System tab, choose Options, and switch Motion-Control Aiming off.
Which items use motion aiming?
The Fairy Slingshot, the Fairy Bow and the Hookshot, along with the other tools that bring up an aiming reticle.
Can you finish the game without motion controls?
Yes. Nintendo lists the game as playable without motion controls, and every aimed item also works with button controls.
Does turning off motion aiming affect the microphone ocarina?
No. Microphone input for the ocarina is its own option, separate from motion aiming.
Does motion aiming work in handheld mode?
The Joy-Con 2 stay attached in handheld mode, so motion aiming there means tilting the whole console. Switch it off if that is uncomfortable.