ELDEN RING has finally made the jump to a Nintendo console, and for a lot of fans, that alone is a big deal. FromSoftware’s open-world action RPG became a massive hit after launching in February 2022, eventually winning Game of the Year at The Game Awards, and it grew even bigger with the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion in 2024. Now both of those are bundled together as ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition for Nintendo Switch 2, releasing on August 28, 2026, after being delayed from its original 2025 date to give the developers more time to fine tune performance. With that context in mind, our review breaks down what the edition includes, how it feels to play on the go, how it holds up when docked, and whether it’s worth picking up if you already own the game elsewhere.

What’s Included and Is It Worth the Price

Tarnished Edition bundles the base game, the full Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, two new starting classes, four armor sets, and three Torrent skins into one package. For anyone who is new to the series or who only owns a Switch 2, this is a simple way to get almost everything the game currently has to offer in a single purchase. That convenience, combined with being able to take the game anywhere, is really the strongest selling point here.

That said, having everything in one box doesn’t automatically make it a better deal. The price doesn’t really stand out compared to similar editions on other platforms, and that’s a harder sell when you factor in the visual and performance trade-offs that come with playing on Switch 2. If you already own the base game and Shadow of the Erdtree somewhere else, portability is really the only reason to consider buying it all over again.

Playing in Handheld Mode

Being able to explore the Lands Between without being tied to a TV is probably the biggest reason to be excited about this version. During regular exploration and lighter fights, the game runs smoothly, with attacks, dodges, blocks, and camera movement all feeling responsive and free of noticeable input delay.

The visual side is a bit more of a letdown in handheld mode. Text such as subtitles, menus, tutorials, and item descriptions can be small enough to strain your eyes, especially during longer reading sessions. The overall image quality is fairly basic too, and fast camera movement can make things look rough during extended play.

Comfort is also worth thinking about. ELDEN RING asks for more precise and fast reactions than slower paced games, since you’re often moving, sprinting, and adjusting the camera all at once, sometimes forcing you into a claw grip just to keep up. The Switch 2 itself feels fine to hold for shorter sessions, but the weight starts to add up over time, and that fatigue becomes more noticeable during tense boss fights where your hands and wrists are already working overtime.

How the Game Performs

For the most part, the Switch 2 version holds a playable frame rate during everyday gameplay, but drops do show up in certain situations. These dips tend to happen around visually heavy effects like waterfalls, in large open areas, and during fights with multiple enemies at once, so it’s not tied to one specific spot or effect but rather to how demanding a scene is at any given moment.

Frame rate can also dip when you first walk into a boss arena, though it usually settles down shortly after. The bigger issue is that these drops tend to repeat throughout the fight itself, especially when Spirit Ashes are summoned or when bosses unleash attacks packed with visual effects. Since ELDEN RING’s combat depends so much on reading enemy patterns and dodging at the right moment, this kind of instability can make already tough fights feel even tougher.

To be clear, the game runs fine under normal conditions. The inconsistency shows up specifically during intense fights and boss battles, which is exactly when steady performance matters most. It’s an issue you can shrug off while just exploring, but much harder to ignore when you’re stuck retrying a difficult boss over and over.

How the Game Performs Docked

Switching to docked mode shaves off about one to two seconds from loading times, though the improvement is fairly small and depends on the area. Loading overall isn’t especially fast, but it doesn’t get in the way of the pacing either.

Unfortunately, docking the system doesn’t fix the frame rate issues. The same drops still show up during tough battles, open-world exploration, and boss fights, and they get worse when Spirit Ashes and heavy visual effects are on screen together.

Playing docked does take the physical strain out of the equation, but it also removes the version’s main advantage, which is being portable. Once you’re playing on a TV, this version doesn’t really offer anything better than what’s already available on other platforms. So if you mainly plan to play on a television and already own the game elsewhere, this release probably isn’t the one to go with. Its real strength is letting you keep exploring the Lands Between away from the screen.

New Content Added

ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition introduces two new starting classes, the Heavy Knight and the Idus Knight. Since starting classes mostly just affect your beginning stats and gear, you’re still free to build your character however you like as you progress, so these additions are more about giving players some fresh options at the start rather than changing the core experience.

There are also new Torrent skins that can be found in-game and equipped at a Site of Grace. These are purely cosmetic and don’t change any of Torrent’s stats or how it rides.

It’s worth noting that none of this new content, including the classes, the four armor sets, and the three Torrent skins, is exclusive to Switch 2. Players on other platforms can get the same additions through the separately sold Tarnished Pack, so anyone who already owns the base game elsewhere doesn’t need to buy this whole edition again just for the extras.

Verdict

ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition does a solid job of bringing the base game, Shadow of the Erdtree, and its new extras to a Nintendo platform for the first time. As a complete package, it hands new players an enormous amount of content in one purchase, and the responsive controls paired with the freedom of handheld play give it a genuine reason to exist.

At the same time, it isn’t the definitive way to experience ELDEN RING. Docked mode doesn’t offer any real visual or performance edge over other versions, while handheld mode is weighed down by small text, average image quality, frequent frame rate drops, and physical discomfort over longer sessions. The price doesn’t do it many favors either, which takes some shine off what is otherwise a content-packed release.

If the Switch 2 is the only platform you own, or if being able to play on the go matters more to you than having the cleanest visuals and steadiest performance, ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition is still a reasonable option. But if you already own another platform, or if stable boss fights, sharper visuals, and more comfort during long sessions are priorities for you, the existing versions of Elden Ring remain the safer pick.