Worth the Import? The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

What You’re Getting

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the direct sequel to Breath of the Wild — one of the highest-rated games of all time. It expands the open-air formula with vertical exploration, vehicle building, and a darker story set in both Hyrule and the skies above.

For Malaysian gamers, the key question is: should you buy the Japanese import version from Play-Asia, or pay more for a local Malaysian copy?

Price Comparison

Source	Price (USD)	Est. MYR	Notes
Play-Asia (Japan import)	$45.99	~RM 216	Physical cart, free shipping over $99
Local game stores (MY)	RM 259–289	RM 259–289	Official SEA distribution
Nintendo eShop (MY)	$59.99	~RM 282	Digital, tied to your account

Savings: RM 43–73 by importing the Japanese physical version.

Region & Language Support

This is the most important section for importers. Here’s what you need to know:

Is it region-locked?

No. The Nintendo Switch is fully region-free for physical cartridges. A Japanese Zelda cart will boot and run perfectly on a Malaysian-bought Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch OLED, or Switch Lite.

What languages are on the cart?

The Japanese retail release includes English, Japanese, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Korean, and Chinese (both Simplified and Traditional). You can switch languages in the Switch system settings before launching the game.

What about DLC?

This is the one gotcha. The Expansion Pass (DLC) is region-locked to the eShop region where you bought the base game.

• If you buy the Japanese physical cart, you must purchase DLC from the Japanese eShop
• This requires a Japanese Nintendo Account (free to create) and Japanese eShop credit
• Our recommendation: If you plan to buy DLC, calculate the total cost. Japanese eShop credit can be bought from third-party sellers, but there’s a small markup.

For most players, the base game has 80–100 hours of content without DLC, so this may not matter.

Physical vs Digital

Factor	Japanese Physical Import	Malaysian Digital
Price	Cheaper	More expensive
Resale value	Can resell the cart	Locked to account
Box art	Japanese cover (cool collector’s item)	None
DLC flexibility	Requires Japanese eShop	Uses Malaysian eShop
Shipping wait	7–14 days	Instant

The Verdict

Worth It. At RM 216 vs RM 259+ locally, the Japanese import saves you enough to cover shipping and still come out ahead. The game is fully English-compatible, runs on any Switch, and the physical cart has resale value if you finish it and want to fund your next import.

Buy it if: You want the best price, prefer physical games, and don’t mind waiting a week for delivery.

Skip if: You must have DLC and don’t want the hassle of a Japanese eShop account, or you need the game today and can’t wait for shipping.

Where to Buy

The best current price we found is on Play-Asia:

Check Price on Play-Asia →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will the Japanese box art be in English?

No, the cover insert is Japanese. The game manual (if included) is also Japanese. The game itself, however, runs in whatever language your Switch is set to.

Can I update the game normally?

Yes. Game updates are not region-locked. Your Malaysian Switch will download updates from Nintendo’s global CDN automatically.

Does the Japanese version have any exclusive content?

No. All retail versions worldwide have identical game content. The only differences are packaging and the eShop region for DLC.