I’m Worried About Elden Ring On Switch 2

Elden Ring on the Nintendo Switch 2 sounds cool, but I'm concerned about its performance. From Software's first-ever open-world Souls-style game, Elden Ring was one of many third-party titles confirmed for the Switch 2 during Nintendo's April 2 Direct. Its Switch 2 port, officially called Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, was announced alongside things like Hitman: World of Assassination, Borderlands 4, EA Sports FC 24, and even another FromSoft original: the Switch 2-exclusive The Duskbloods.

It's an impressive reveal: the Switch 2 is clearly asserting itself, attempting to prove it can play with the big boys by announcing a spate of games originally exclusive to PCs and home consoles. But I'm not totally convinced the Switch 2 is the right home for Elden Ring, and I'm a little worried based on what we saw at yesterday's Direct.

Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition Trailer Hints At Switch 2 Performance Issues

Torrent Looks A Little Choppy

You may have missed it, but the trailer for Elden Ring's Switch 2 version already hinted at some less-than-stellar performance. It's especially visible beginning around the 25-second mark; the player character stands in the shadow of a half-sunken castle, and whistles to summon Torrent. The framerate dips noticeably as they ride away from the camera, which then pans up to give us a better look at the Erdtree and a distant moon.

To the naked eye, it looks like a poor bit of frame pacing - a problem with which FromSoft is familiar, as it also notoriously plagued its 30 fps-locked PS4 exclusive Bloodborne. It's not impossible to fix, especially if the Tarnished Edition has the rest of the year to iron out its wrinkles. But it does suggest the Switch 2 may have trouble rendering The Lands Between.

Link and Makar the Korok in front of a Switch 2 displaying an image of Korok Forest.

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To make matters worse, this is really the only piece of active gameplay we see during this 45-second trailer, and it doesn't even come from a particularly demanding part of the game. There are a few other gameplay clips, but they're pretty static, consisting of characters standing still while the camera swoops and pans around them, or cushioned with a slow-motion effect that would mask any performance issues. The rest of it draws mainly from cutscenes, which are naturally impressive, but also inherently more stable.

So it begs the question: will the Switch 2 be able to keep up during Elden Ring's epic boss fights? It's one thing to have a little stutter when you're riding through a relatively peaceful area, enjoying the scenery while you head to your next destination. It's another entirely while you're fighting Malenia. More so than most action RPGs, Elden Ring demands quick reactions. If it's constantly dropping frames and slowing down on the Switch 2, already frustrating boss fights could become rage-inducing struggles.

Elden Ring Already Doesn’t Run Well On More Powerful Consoles

How Will It Do On Switch 2?

Elden Ring is already no stranger to performance issues. It launched with some pretty significant issues on all platforms - even on much more powerful consoles and PCs. Many of these were fixed over time, and the Tarnished Edition has time on its side. It's coming out three years after Elden Ring's initial release, so you'd think it'd have plenty of time to resolve these years-old performance issues. But from what we've seen so far, it apparently hasn't.

But even now, Elden Ring is prone to occasional stuttering. It's better in certain areas than in others, but when you're wandering through busy environments or taking on flashy, projectile-heavy boss battles, you're almost certain to see your frame rate dip on occasion. It can be an intensely resource-demanding game, and even more powerful home consoles sometimes struggle to keep up with it.

Performance issues repeated themselves when Shadow of the Erdtree was released. The DLC has yet to be confirmed for Switch 2.

In almost every regard, the Switch 2's specs pale in comparison to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. That was to be expected, and it's not really a bad thing - the Switch 2 a handheld, after all, and the performance it can achieve is on par with its peers in that sector of the game console market. But when it comes to running games that are challenging to run on more powerful platforms, the Switch 2 is almost certain to falter.

Art Direction Carries Elden Ring, & Portability Is A Huge Perk On Switch 2

Elden Ring On Switch 2 Has Its Perks

No matter how you slice it, art direction is one of Elden Ring's greatest strengths. From the majesty of its open world, to the complexities of its boss design, to the dynamism of its exploration, it's steeped in beauty and attention to detail. I'd hate to see any of that diminished just to make it work on the Switch 2 - not just because Elden Ring itself deserves better, but because anyone playing it for the first time deserves to see it in all its glory.

Still, Elden Ring might be a beautiful thing for Switch 2 players. It's already proven that, as far as performance goes, it is possible to run Elden Ring on a handheld. It works pretty well on the Steam Deck, even if you do have to turn most of its graphical settings down to hit a steady 40 fps. The Switch 2 is comparable to the Steam Deck in terms of hardware - better in some ways, worse in others - so it stands to reason that the two editions will hit similar benchmarks.

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If nothing else, though, the ability to take Elden Ring on the go is an incredible selling point for the Tarnished Edition. Handheld gaming has come a long way; evolving from the days of monochromatic 2D Mario all the way to a massive, open-world adventure proves that Nintendo's new handheld has something to offer. That alone may convince some players to buy (if, of course, they don't already own a Steam Deck).

I'll be the first to admit that it's a little too early to count the Tarnished Edition out. That first trailer was a little rough, but FromSoft has plenty of time to improve its performance. And even if it's not perfect, many players will chose portability over fluidity. Of course, its price on the Switch 2 could be another sticking point, but only time will tell whether that'll become an issue for Elden Ring's Tarnished Edition.

Source: Nintendo UK/YouTube