Which Nintendo Switch game was the first to feature a playable open-world Hyrule sequel to Breath of the Wild?

The Nintendo Switch game that continued the open-world Hyrule established by Breath of the Wild was The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Nintendo released Tears of the Kingdom on May 12, 2023. It is a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and expands exploration beyond the surface of Hyrule into the sky and underground areas. The game also introduced abilities such as Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend, and Recall.

Its world shares locations and history with Breath of the Wild, but the sequel changes the landscape and adds new systems for construction and experimentation. That makes it more than a remaster or expansion of the earlier game.

Other Switch Zelda releases have different roles. Link’s Awakening is a remake of a Game Boy title, Skyward Sword HD remasters a Wii game, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a musou-style action game set before Breath of the Wild.