Elden Ring on the Switch 2 isn’t tarnished
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The Verge's review of Elden Ring's "Tarnished Edition" on Nintendo Switch 2 confirms the port preserves the acclaimed 2022 open-world action RPG largely intact, including the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, while making the hybrid console's portable-to-docked flexibility a genuine asset. The reviewer, revisiting the game after dozens of hours on PS5, argues Elden Ring is an especially demanding test case since poor frame rates or muddy visuals could prove fatal, yet the Switch 2 handles the game well enough that performance rarely becomes a distraction.
After around ten hours with the Switch 2 version, the reviewer reports no stuttering or frame-rate drops in either portable or TV mode, aside from occasional long loading screens. Visual downgrades are present but described as superficial, including less detailed character models and some muddy or washed-out textures. The format suits Elden Ring's scale particularly well, letting players fit in short sessions, such as 20 minutes clearing an enemy camp, before settling in for longer play at home. The port arrives ahead of FromSoftware's new Switch 2 exclusive, The Duskbloods, expected later this year.
- Elden Ring's Switch 2 "Tarnished Edition" runs smoothly with no major performance issues
- Portable-to-TV flexibility makes the open-world game especially well-suited to Switch 2
- Visual downgrades are minor; full game and Shadow of the Erdtree included
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Elden Ring is a widely acclaimed open-world action role-playing game made by Japanese studio FromSoftware, first released in 2022 and later expanded with the Shadow of the Erdtree add-on. It has since been ported to Nintendo's new Switch 2 console under the name "Tarnished Edition", bringing the game to a hybrid handheld-and-TV device for the first time. The Switch 2, launched in 2025, lets people play games either on the go or docked to a television, and is generally less powerful than rival consoles and gaming PCs.
The key question around any such port is whether a demanding game like Elden Ring, known for fast, punishing combat where a dropped frame or blurry visual can cost a player their progress, can run well on less powerful hardware. Gaming outlet The Verge tested the Switch 2 version extensively to answer that question, comparing it with their prior experience playing on Sony's PlayStation 5.
This matters because it signals how well FromSoftware's biggest game translates to Nintendo's newest system, and comes shortly before the same studio releases The Duskbloods, a new game made specifically for the Switch 2, later this year.
More coverage
- GameSpot — Elden Ring On Switch 2 Is A Compromise, But It’s A Surprisingly Good One
- Nintendo Life — Round Up: The Reviews For Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition On Switch 2 Are In