To be able to play one of the best entries from FromSoftware on a handheld is a dream come true. Initial news about how poorly optimized Elden Ring ran on the Nintendo Switch 2 during GDC 2025 was concerning, leading to a delay, FromSoftware clearly knew they couldn’t mess this one up after winning Game of the Year, surpassing 30 million units sold, and launching the massively successful Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Fast-forward to its release this August: Elden Ring delivers the great news that it runs flawlessly, and what better way to play it than on a handheld?
We won’t dwell on how good Elden Ring is; the sales numbers speak for themselves. With countless flawless 10/10 reviews, it broke the record for the most Game of the Year awards, defining and opening up the Souls-like genre like never before by combining accessible gameplay with world-class storytelling. On top of that, FromSoftware delivered a massive expansion with 2024’s Shadow of the Erdtree, which earned another Game of the Year nomination—even if fitting an expansion into that category sparked some debate.
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is the definitive complete edition, reintroducing the franchise to handheld gamers on the Nintendo Switch 2 (while also offering a small upgrade for other platforms). But does it feel enjoyable playing on a handheld? Yes and no. Personally, I wasn’t the biggest fan of playing a demanding game that requires total focus using the Joy-Cons. The ergonomics aren’t ideal, and an accidental button press can easily cost you your life (resulting in multiple deaths during my initial review hours). While the Switch 2’s hybrid nature offers the blessing of playing anywhere, it initially felt like a bit of a struggle for me.
There is no doubt the Switch 2 can’t match what current-generation home consoles are doing, but I really appreciate the steady 30 FPS frame rate at a near-native 1080p resolution. In fact, I was stunned by how well it held up across the open world while getting mobbed (and dying countless times), all while maintaining impressive detail and sharpness in handheld mode as I traversed Limgrave. It occasionally dips to around 20 FPS for a second or two, but it’s never unplayable if anything, it just left me in disbelief over how well-optimized it is. A helpful tip I stumbled upon online is to turn off “Online Play” in the settings. That way, putting the Switch 2 into sleep mode won’t boot you to the main menu (which is infuriating, trust me). Even when it does, the loading times aren’t very long either; gone are the endless loading screens from the launch-era base PlayStation 4.
After clearing the first boss (which surprisingly took several attempts despite having 130+ hours on my original playthrough, making me seriously question my skills) and marching into Stormveil, I noticed a few technical adjustments. Seeing is believing: the draw distance has been brought in slightly, fog is more prominent in distant areas, and open-world grass density has been reduced substantially to lower graphical demands. In handheld mode, I managed a continuous 3-hour session before needing a charger, ending with 12–15% battery remaining from an 80% charge. While it can feel like a battery drain at times, it holds up remarkably well over repeated sessions, definitely suitable for daily commutes or long-haul flights.
Enough spec talk, though. The Tarnished Edition isn’t just a straight port of the original game with expansion content attached. FromSoftware introduced two new classes for fresh runs: the Idus Knight, a quality/dexterity character equipped with light-to-medium armor that flows
swiftly with a new Ash of War; and the Heavy Knight, a chunky, heavily armored warrior wielding a curved greatsword designed for players who want to tank through incoming attacks. Beyond that, the Tarnished Edition adds several new armor sets, and at long last, Torrent comes with three different skins (Torrent isn’t looking so plain anymore!).
I highly recommend this port of Elden Ring to almost any player curious about the game who hasn’t had the chance to experience it yet. The controls in handheld mode might present a challenge, but once you’re locked in, it’s smooth sailing. The flexibility to play anywhere or dock it at home is a massive blessing for busy gamers. Given how expensive building a new PC can be alongside the skyrocketing prices of PC handheld devices, the Nintendo Switch 2 provides the best of both worlds. The level of optimization achieved here is a remarkable technical feat worth studying closely. Job well done by the developers at FromSoftware.
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition is out now on Nintendo Switch 2. Thank you to Bandai Namco for providing the review code.
