Elden Ring has been targeting the Nintendo Switch 2 for a minute now, and it has finally found a new home in 2026 in the form of Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition. It’s immediately clear that the extra development time afforded by the delay has paid off. Instead of being a middling port, this release stands proudly among the other platforms. The package bundles the vast base game with the exceptional Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, offering a slew of content in a portable format. For the maidenless uninitiated, Elden Ring sweeps players away to The Lands Between. This grim, medieval fantasy world operates with the minimal handholding we have come to expect from FromSoftware’s Souls games. Players assume the role of a nameless Tarnished, banished and then revived to gather shards of the shattered Elden Ring. Unlike the developer’s prior titles, the scale is amplified drastically through an open-world structure, bestowing the player with newfound freedom to explore in any direction—spoiler alert: death exists in every direction.
This freedom directly impacts the iconic, brutal combat. When players encounter the first skill-check boss, they needn’t repeatedly smash their head against a wall; they can simply summon their steed, Torrent, and ride away to find fairer fights as they gain levels and better gear. This is largely thanks to the world’s dense optional content. Mini-dungeons act as brief gauntlets filled with hidden enemies and ending with minor bosses that grant new additions to the arsenal. These labyrinths harken back to the classic, tightly designed levels of older FromSoftware games, packing brutal enemy placements and confined space combat. In contrast, open-field encounters add another layer to the combat loop. Overworld bosses roam the environment just like standard enemies. Players might stumble across a towering monstrosity, realize their weapons deal almost zero damage, and immediately flee. The lack of fog walls in the open world allows for those tactical retreat decisions. Torrent also changes these battles significantly, giving players the speed to joust with giant beasts or outmaneuver massive crowds.
Marvelously Maidenless
The Tarnished Edition introduces a handful of small, exclusive bonuses alongside the included Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. The expansion itself brings sizable new areas and terrifying new enemies, including colossal wicker men that stomp across the landscape. Returning players will also find two brand-new starting classes. The Heavy Knight caters to highly defensive players, focusing on strength and endurance to absorb heavy blows before retaliating with slow, punishing strikes. The Idus Knight offers a contrasting approach. This class prioritizes agility and speed, equipped with a sword that executes a highly satisfying double-strike. The Idus Knight also features a minor proclivity toward Faith and Arcane stats, which provides a helpful foundation for those seeking a hybrid magic build.
The new edition includes more than a couple new starting classes. It also boasts four new armor sets. These outfits look fantastic, though they are quickly replaced as better stat gear is discovered gear out in the wild. The cosmetic additions extend to Torrent as well. There are three different skins for the magical stee; one skin turns Torrent into a golden horse resembling the mounts of specific in-game enemies. Although the skins offer no gameplay advantages, they add a fun visual novelty to the long rides across the map. Finally, the release incorporates a few quality-of-life adjustments. The inventory now features a specific recent items tab. This menu marks newly acquired items and makes it much easier to track lore updates or quest progression without digging through extensive menus. However, this marker system can be turned off in the settings for purists who prefer the classic (read: cluttered) inventory experience.
A Prime Port
Technical performance remained the biggest question mark surrounding the Switch 2 release, and FromSoftware delivered an impressively stable build. Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition runs at a 1080p resolution in both docked and handheld modes. More importantly, the game targets and consistently maintains a locked 30 frames per second. The framerate remains solid during intense combat and exploration, providing an experience that feels remarkably smooth on what is arguably the most constrained hardware of the current generation.
To achieve this stability, a few visual concessions have understandably been made. The Switch 2 version most closely resembles the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One builds of the game. Draw distance and foliage density see noticeable cutbacks, particularly in early areas like Limgrave. Pop-in occurs in foliage-heavy regions where scenery constantly fades into view as the player rides past. Crucially, this pop-in only affects the environment. Enemies and monsters never suddenly spawn into existence, ensuring the visual compromises never put players at a disadvantage during the endless floor of tough fights.
Despite the lack of DLSS support, leaving one of the Switch 2’s strongest assets unused, the art direction shines beautifully. The Switch 2’s docked HDR support renders the unsettling monster designs and imposing castles with excellent vibrancy. That said, minor animation stutters do occur on rare occasions. When the screen fills with a dragon and a dozen skeleton minions, enemy movements can look slightly jerky. However, these moments happen infrequently and barely impact the overall flow of combat. Additionally, load times sit comfortably in the middle of the console spectrum. The Switch 2 SSD eliminates the grueling load times, allowing for fast travel and respawns to happen quickly, though they do lag slightly behind the near-instant loads of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
The true draw of the Tarnished Edition is its portability. Playing a game of this immense scale in handheld mode feels incredible. The smaller screen of the Switch 2 naturally hides the reduced draw distance and lowered foliage density, making the visual cutbacks far less apparent than they are on a large TV. Undocked, there are roughly two and a half hours of battery life to enjoy from the Switch 2 while running the game. This provides plenty of time for a solid exploration session during travel or other downtime away from the dock. It’s immensely satisfying to kill a brief bit of free time clearing a single mini-dungeon before returning to the grander adventure on the big screen at a later point.
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition Review Verdict
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition: crams hundreds of hours of exploration and punishing boss fights into a portable format without sacrificing the core feel of the game. The stable framerate, quick load times, and smart visual compromises make this an outstanding way to experience the Lands Between. Whether exploring the golden ash-covered cities or running in terror from a sudden attack, the massive adventure translates flawlessly to Nintendo's latest hardware. – Mark
[Editor’s Note: Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition was reviewed on Switch 2, and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.]
