Zelda on PC Without an Emulator | BOTW & TOTK Complete Setup

Recorded results and project research · 6–7 November 2026

Install native Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom PC projects with a clear two-game workflow. This guide covers compatible inputs, the BOTW DLC folder layout, compilation, the recorded TOTK destination error, settings and save backups.

Two games, two prepared installations

Let's set up Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom as two separate native PC projects. We will prepare the right files for each one, finish the build and reach a playable checkpoint. Keep the two installations separate, and back up any saves you already have before replacing a working version.

Choose the matching project

Open the project links in the written guide. The Breath of the Wild footage uses the recorded Savage Wind Alpha four route. Tears of the Kingdom uses its own Recomp installer. Follow the instructions for the project you choose; an emulator setup or a different native fork can require a different file layout.

Prepare the inputs before installing

Use your own compatible game files and the update required by the selected project. For Breath of the Wild, this recording also includes both DLC packs. Keep the original inputs somewhere safe. Extracting, compiling and installing can temporarily use much more space than the finished game folder.

Extract the BOTW application package

Download the ready-to-use Windows package for the chosen Breath of the Wild build. Extract the complete archive into its own folder and open its setup program. Keep all the included files together. Do not substitute a source-code archive for a packaged setup unless you intend to build the tools yourself.

Prepare base game and update

Extract the compatible base game and update using the supported route shown in the recording. Select the required inputs and let extraction finish. Keep the base game's folders together. Before moving to the setup program, check the completed output instead of selecting an archive that has not yet been extracted.

Prepare both DLC packs

Check this folder level before setup

Prepared game folder/
  exefs/
  romfs/       base game with the matching update
  dlc1/        first DLC data, kept separate
  dlc2/        second DLC data, kept separate

Each DLC can contain its data directly or inside its own romfs subfolder. Keep the two DLC packs separate from the base-game RomFS. Select their common parent folder in setup. Primary project: DLC layout and accepted variants.

Extract each DLC pack as required. The important part is the final layout. Do not merge the inner DLC data into the wrong base-game directory. Keep each DLC's outer folder at the level expected by the setup, beside the base game's folders. The final recorded folder view is the layout to check before you continue.

Select the BOTW build inputs

Open the setup and choose the prepared game inputs. Confirm the expected game and update, then select a suitable installation location. If you already have a working copy, preserve its saves first. Once the inputs are accepted, begin the build and allow the preparation to complete.

Let the compiler and shaders finish

The setup now performs its preparation work. I am accelerating the passive progress sections, not the gameplay. Keep the window open until it finishes and reports a usable result. Do not delete the prepared cache simply because it takes space; it may be part of making the next launch easier.

Confirm the DLC result

After setup, check that the selected content is recognised. The recording shows both DLC packs in the game. This is the useful checkpoint after fixing the folder layout: the game accepts the content, rather than merely having extra folders beside an executable.

Configure controls and picture

Open the available settings for the recorded build and check your controller or keyboard input. Start with a picture setting your PC can handle, then apply the change and test a real route. Make one adjustment at a time so you can tell which change affected the result.

BOTW playable checkpoint

Load the game and test movement, camera control and a short route outside. If you are continuing an existing save, check that it loads correctly before treating the update as finished. Here is the recorded result at normal speed.

Back up saves before another update

Use the project's save location or backup tools to keep a separate copy before updating again. Preserve the working cache and settings where the project supports reusing them. A separate backup is safer than assuming a file inside the folder you are about to replace will remain untouched.

Begin the separate TOTK installation

Now open the Tears of the Kingdom project linked in the guide. Download its Windows setup package, extract it completely and run the setup program. Keep this installation in its own folder. The following screens show the recorded installer; consult the current release for its supported game versions and requirements.

Choose the correct game and update

Select your own compatible game and update inputs. Read the file labels in the installer rather than choosing folders by habit from the Breath of the Wild setup. This is a different project and a different game. Confirm the selected paths before starting the build.

Fix the nonempty destination at this step

If this destination error appears, choose a suitable empty installation folder. In the recording, selecting a different empty destination resolves this step. Keep the source files and save backups elsewhere so the new install folder is clear. Then confirm the destination and continue.

Finish code and shader preparation

Start the build and let both preparation stages finish. These progress bars are accelerated in the edit. Your system still needs to complete the work before the first launch. Wait for the final usable result rather than interrupting the process because one stage appears to pause.

Launch TOTK and check the controls

Open the prepared game from its installation folder. Let the first launch finish, then verify controller or keyboard input in a playable scene. Keep this first test straightforward. A working baseline makes the later graphics settings much easier to evaluate.

Choose the render settings you need

Open the in-game settings and select a resolution appropriate for your display and graphics card. The recorded session includes a four K setting change. Apply the setting, return to gameplay and check how it responds. The video's four K export format is separate from the game's own rendering setting.

Test movement and your input layout

Check camera movement, walking and the buttons you will actually use. Adjust the input layout if necessary, then test again in the game. Keep the recorded result and the selected settings together when comparing performance with another person or another build.

Two working checkpoints

You now have two separate installation routes: Breath of the Wild with the prepared DLC layout, and Tears of the Kingdom with its own installer and settings. Keep their folders, source inputs and save backups organised separately. That makes future updates easier and avoids repeating the file-layout mistakes shown earlier.

Resources and community

The written guide has the project links, illustrated steps and the extractor resource used in these setups. Join our Discord for PC setup help, build testing and comparing results. Tell us which game and project version you are using, and the step where you need help.

Project links and resources

Use your own compatible game and personal console files. No game, firmware or keys are distributed here. Community graphics mods are independent of NVIDIA’s official game integrations. Source passages show the dated build used; a newer release can behave differently.

Credits: the linked project maintainers and contributors, Nintendo and the respective game creators. Gameplay recordings belong to this channel; external videos were studied as editorial references, not reused as footage.

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