Which Nintendo Switch game was the first in the series to include a fully explorable open-air Hyrule?

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the Zelda game that introduced the series’ fully explorable open-air Hyrule on Nintendo Switch.

Released on March 3, 2017, the adventure places Link in a large version of Hyrule where players can choose their route, climb surfaces, glide across terrain, and solve shrines in different orders. The game emphasizes systemic interaction: weather, fire, physics, cooking, and environmental conditions all affect exploration.

Breath of the Wild launched simultaneously for Nintendo Switch and Wii U. It was not the first Zelda game with a large world, but its open-air structure represented a major change from the more directed progression common in earlier 3D entries.

Tears of the Kingdom continues in the same version of Hyrule and expands the world vertically and into the sky and underground. It is a sequel, so the original open-air transformation is associated with Breath of the Wild.