// THE VERGE — GAMING
Elden Ring on the Switch 2 isn’t tarnished
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The latest version of the open-world epic has me hooked all over again.
The latest version of the open-world epic has me hooked all over again.
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FromSoftware is hoping to make a splash on the Switch 2 later this year when it launches The Duskbloods, a gothic competitive multiplayer game that’s unlike anything the studio has made before. But before that, Switch 2 owners have a chance to experience the studio’s biggest hit for the first time thanks to a port of Elden Ring and its expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. For the most part, the new version — called the “Tarnished Edition” — is the same game that captivated players in 2022. But the shift in platform also makes it a particularly compelling way to explore the Lands Between.
Elden Ring differentiated itself from past FromSoft games by introducing a large open world shrouded in mystery and brimming with danger. And as we’ve learned over the years, open-world games work especially well on Nintendo’s hybrid console, letting you play in small bursts while in portable mode before settling in for grander adventures on your television. Nintendo made this point crystal clear launching the original Switch alongside The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and the extra horsepower of the Switch 2 has been put to use for ports of gigantic games like Cyberpunk 2077.
In many ways Elden Ring is an ideal test case for the Switch 2. It may be a few years old, but it’s a big and demanding game, one where every element matters. Wonky frame rates could mean death in battle, while dark or fuzzy graphics could allow a cave-dwelling creature to get the jump on you. I spent dozens of hours exploring and dying in the PS5 version of the game when it first launched, and I’ve since spent around 10 hours dabbling with the Switch 2 port. And while the Switch 2 edition isn’t the most technically impressive version of the game, it is one that runs just well enough to possibly be my favorite way to play.