Elden Ring Tarnished Edition is out now on Nintendo Switch 2

Elden Ring is now playable on Nintendo Switch 2, and it's good. The Tarnished Edition launched August 28, 2026, bundling the base game and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion for $79.99. Critics scored it 91 on Metacritic across more than 31 reviews — a strong result that should settle most concerns about whether the Switch 2 can handle a game this demanding.

The package

The Tarnished Edition is more than a straight port. It adds two new starting classes — Heavy Knight and Knight of Ides — several armor sets, weapons, and alternate skins for the horse Torrent. The game runs at a target of 30 fps in both docked and handheld modes, holds that frame rate steadily according to reviewers, and requires 41 GB of storage. Nintendo Wire described the handheld presentation as "absolutely stunning even compared to PS5" — a claim that would have seemed far-fetched a year ago, when FromSoftware delayed the original 2025 release specifically to fix performance problems.

The value question

At $79.99, this is one of the pricier Switch 2 releases. New players get the best deal: base game plus full DLC in one purchase, at a price that undercuts buying both separately on PS5 or Xbox. Returning players who already own Elden Ring on another platform face a harder call. The same cosmetic content — armor sets, Torrent skins, the new classes — is available as the Tarnished Pack DLC on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam from the same date, so there's no need to double-dip just for the extras. Note that pre-order gesture rewards (The Ring, Ring of Miquella) were exclusive to Switch 2 early buyers and are not included in the multi-platform DLC.

Worth it?

For anyone who missed Elden Ring the first time around, the Switch 2 version is the most complete single purchase available. The port erases the main worry about portable performance, and a Metacritic score of 91 confirms this isn't a compromised cash-in. Per GameSpot, the delay paid off. If you already own it elsewhere and aren't desperate to play it on a plane, the $79.99 price is a tougher sell.