How do coordinates work in TOTK (Zelda Tears of the Kingdom)?

Any guide that covers a location in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is bound to have (or should have) coordinates. Fans may come across this odd string of numbers and think, "what am I reading?" No worries, though; coordinates are really easy to read once one understands what they represent.

Coordinates explained in TOTK (Zelda Tears of the Kingdom)

Whenever Link arrives at an area in Tears of the Kingdom, a set of coordinates will display on the bottom right corner of the screen.

When viewing the map, these coordinates will still show. What the numbers represent is Link's location relative to the center of Hyrule.

Every set of coordinates shows three values, showing where Link is on the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis on the overworld. Each axis displays the following values:

• X axis: how far Link is left or right of the center of Hyrule.
• Y axis: how far Link is north or south of the center of Hyrule.
• Z axis: how high or low Link is relative to the ground.

Related: Zelda TOTK Dragon Locations: Farosh, Naydra, Dinraal & Light Dragon spawn times, and paths

Sometimes, players might find negative numbers on their coordinates. The numbers go negative as Link is left of central Hyrule, south of central Hyrule, or below ground level.

Based on testing, I've found that Link's coordinates will be shown regardless of where the player is scrolling on the map. So, if I travel to Gerudo Town and open the map to look at Rito Village, the coordinates will still be showing Gerudo Town's location. Therefore, I can't look at the coordinates of a location simply by viewing the map; Link needs to physically be there.

Want more Zelda Tears of the Kingdom guides? Pro Game Guides has you covered with Where to find Kakariko Village in Tears of the Kingdom (TotK).