You remember that Tuesday in January 2017? Most people don't. But if you were one of the millions glued to the Nintendo Switch Presentation live stream, you probably have a vivid memory of the exact moment Eiji Aonuma appeared on screen. It was the "big bang" for the modern Nintendo era. We weren't just getting a new console; we were getting Breath of the Wild. But for the die-hards, the game wasn't enough. People wanted the breath of the wild special edition nintendo switch experience, even if the "Special Edition" terminology got a little confusing between the hardware and the software bundles.
Honestly, it’s been years, and the market for these physical artifacts hasn't calmed down. If anything, it’s gotten weirder.
The Confusion Between Consoles and Kits
Let’s get one thing straight immediately because the internet is a mess of SEO-cluttered misinformation. There was never a specific "Breath of the Wild Edition" console released on launch day. Unlike the later Tears of the Kingdom OLED model—which featured that stunning gold-and-green iconography—the 2017 launch relied on the Breath of the Wild Special Edition and the ultra-rare Master Edition bundles. These were the heavy boxes. The ones that made your mailman hate you.
The Special Edition was a beefy package. You got the game, a Nintendo Switch Sheikah Slate Carrying Case, a "Sheikah Eye" Collectible Coin, a Breath of the Wild Weathersworn Map, and the Sound Selection CD.
If you wanted the actual console to look like Zelda, you were out of luck until years later. Or you bought skins. Lots and lots of third-party skins.
People often conflate the two. You’ll see eBay listings for a "Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch" and it’s just a standard v1 console bundled with the special edition inserts. Don't get scammed. Know what you’re looking at. The true 2017 Special Edition was a software-plus-goodies bundle, while the true "Zelda Console" crown belongs to the 2023 OLED release.
Why That Sheikah Slate Case Became a Legend
Why do we still talk about a carrying case from nearly a decade ago?
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Because it was actually good. Usually, pack-in bonuses are cheap plastic garbage that ends up in a junk drawer or a landfill. But the Sheikah Slate case included in the breath of the wild special edition nintendo switch bundle was different. It was rugged. It looked like it belonged in Hyrule.
It was thick, protective, and had that iconic debossed eye symbol. Even now, you see people at gaming conventions carrying their OLED Switches inside that original 2017 case. It has outlived the original consoles it was designed for.
The Master Edition vs. The Special Edition
If the Special Edition was for the fans, the Master Edition was for the fanatics. It was exactly the same as the Special Edition, but it added one crucial item: the Master Sword of Resurrection statue.
It was a small, plastic statue of the decayed Master Sword in its pedestal. Critically, it was notoriously fragile. If you’re buying one today on the secondary market, check the "hilt." Those things snapped if you even looked at them wrong during shipping.
- Special Edition MSRP: $99.99
- Master Edition MSRP: $129.99
- Current Market Value: Honestly? You don't want to know. It’s astronomical.
The "V1" Hardware Problem
Here is something nobody talks about when they go hunting for a 2017-era breath of the wild special edition nintendo switch setup. The hardware inside those early consoles—the ones people bought specifically to play BotW on day one—is prone to aging.
The battery life on a launch-day Switch is... well, it’s bad. You’re looking at maybe 2.5 to 3 hours of playtime. If you're a collector, you want that unpatched Erista chip for "reasons" (mostly homebrew). But if you’re a player? You’re better off putting the Special Edition game disc—wait, cartridge—into a modern OLED.
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The irony is thick. The best way to experience the Breath of the Wild Special Edition content is on hardware that didn't exist when the game launched.
The Map That Everyone Lost
Inside that Special Edition box was a "Relic of Hyrule" tapestry map. It wasn't paper. It was a sort of faux-parchment fabric. It’s beautiful. It’s also the first thing people lost or let their cats chew on.
When you’re scouring marketplaces, the map is the tell-tale sign of a "Complete in Box" (CIB) collector. If the map is missing, the value drops by 30% instantly. The map featured the "Calamity Ganon" tapestry art that appeared in the game's opening cutscenes. It’s a piece of lore you can hold.
Scarcity and the Scalper Shadow
We have to talk about the launch. It was a bloodbath.
Retailers like GameStop and Best Buy had stock for approximately twelve seconds. The breath of the wild special edition nintendo switch bundles became the poster child for the modern scalping era. Because Nintendo didn't produce a second wave of the Master Edition, the prices spiked and stayed there.
Unlike the Tears of the Kingdom Collector's Edition, which had a relatively healthy supply chain, the BotW Special Edition remains a "holy grail."
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Is It Worth Buying in 2026?
Look, if you’re a Zelda historian, yes. The Sound Selection CD alone is a masterpiece of minimalist composition. Manaka Kataoka’s score—the way the piano notes just drift through the air while you’re climbing a cliff—is captured perfectly there.
But if you just want to play the game? Buy the digital version. Or find a used standard cartridge.
The breath of the wild special edition nintendo switch is an investment piece now. It’s a museum object.
What to check before you buy:
- The Coin: It should be in a plastic protector. If it's scratched, someone took it out to flip it like a normal quarter.
- The CD Case: It’s a flimsy cardboard sleeve. Check for "ring wear" or corner dings.
- The Box: The Special Edition box is notoriously soft. It crushes under the weight of other games if stacked horizontally.
Actionable Steps for Collectors
If you are determined to track down this piece of Nintendo history, don't just search "Zelda Switch." You’ll get a thousand results for the wrong thing.
Search for the specific UPC or the Japanese "Collector’s Edition" if you’re okay with regional variants (the Japanese one actually had better box art in some opinions). Verify the presence of the Sheikah Slate case first, as that is the most counterfeited part of the set. There are dozens of "knock-off" Sheikah cases on Amazon that look similar but lack the internal branding and material quality of the 2017 original.
Always ask for a photo of the "spine" of the outer box. If it’s sun-faded, that beautiful purple-and-black aesthetic is ruined, and the resale value is halved.
The legacy of Breath of the Wild isn't going anywhere. It redefined the open-world genre. Owning the physical "Special Edition" is essentially owning a piece of the blueprint that changed gaming forever. Just be prepared to pay a premium for that history.