Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition Hands-On at Gamescom Highlights Performance Issues on Nintendo Switch 2

Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition was among the headline attractions at Nintendo’s expansive booth during this year’s Gamescom, drawing considerable attention from fans and industry insiders alike.

The Switch 2 port of the critically acclaimed open-world RPG by FromSoftware is set to offer players the full Elden Ring experience—including the base game, the highly anticipated Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, as well as new weapons, classes, and armor—making the Nintendo Switch 2 debut an important milestone for both the title and the console. Originally released in February 2022 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, Elden Ring quickly established itself as a genre-defining action RPG, selling over 20 million copies globally.

Its upcoming arrival on the Nintendo Switch 2, under the “Tarnished Edition” banner, marks the first time FromSoftware’s celebrated adventure is available on a Nintendo platform, further expanding the game’s reach and appeal on the eShop and through Nintendo Direct highlights. During Gamescom, hands-on impressions from attendees were eagerly awaited by the gaming community, given the technical demands of Elden Ring’s sprawling world.

One such impression came from Felix, Game Vantage’s on-site reporter, who tested Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition in handheld mode on the new hardware.

He noted multiple instances of frame rate drops and noticeable stuttering out in the open world, especially after leaving the tutorial area and delving into Limgrave—the game’s early sandbox.

Despite the Switch 2’s considerable hardware upgrades over its predecessor, the demo build showcased some performance challenges, raising questions about optimization ahead of launch. It’s important to mention, as corroborated by both Felix and third-party outlets like Good Vibes Gaming (GVG) and IGN, that all gameplay sessions were under strict embargo with no video footage permitted—not even over-the-shoulder captures—making direct player feedback even more valuable for assessing the port’s quality.

Felix described the experience, saying that while the new class options and expanded content were exciting to sample, the stability issues were hard to overlook.

He emphasized that the build was clearly marked as an early demo, suggesting further improvements are likely before release. The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, integrated into this edition, brings a new layer of depth to Elden Ring on Switch 2, offering veteran and new players alike fresh challenges and storylines.

Nintendo’s commitment to partnering with top third-party developers like FromSoftware continues to underline its efforts to expand the Switch 2’s diverse software lineup, potentially boosting sales and engagement on the eShop platform. As anticipation builds towards the official launch of Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition on Nintendo Switch 2, questions around performance and optimization remain at the forefront of community discussion.

With developer feedback and additional updates expected in the coming months, players can look forward to more information prior to release.

Stay tuned for future Nintendo Direct announcements and further hands-on impressions as the release date approaches.

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