Bloody Hell, Elden Ring on Switch 2 Sounds Like a Janky Mess — But What Does It MEAN?
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Reports from Gamescom suggest *Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition* for the Switch 2 is suffering from severe frame rate issues and instability in handheld mode, despite being locked at 30fps, raising concerns about third-party ports and the new console's performance capabilities, as highlighted by Polygon.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're meticulously crafting a powerful spell, whispering incantations, and then it just… fizzles? Or worse, it works, but transforms your trusty staff into a rubber chicken? That's kinda the vibe I'm getting from the latest whispers out of Gamescom regarding *Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition* on the Nintendo Switch 2.
I’ve been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it’s wilder than it first appeared. On paper, the Switch 2’s beefed-up power ostensibly promised us the glorious age of playing modern blockbusters on the go, a true portable powerhouse. But, as Polygon recently highlighted in a rather concerning report (sourced from the hands-on dispatches by IGN and Nintendo Life), it seems the Lands Between might be a bit too much for the new hardware, at least in its current state. You can check out the original scoop over on Polygon, mate.
According to those who’ve actually laid hands on the portable version of FromSoftware’s genre-defining masterpiece, the experience is… well, *tarnished*. Pun intended, I suppose. Both IGN and Nintendo Life are reporting a host of technical issues, primarily those dreaded frame rate drops, especially when playing in handheld mode. And here’s the kicker, the bit that really makes my eyebrows do a magic trick: “Standing still, it looks great,” IGN apparently observed. *Standing still.* Fair dinkum, you’d think an action RPG would *expect* you to, y’know, move the camera, dodge a Malenia attack, or actually, like, *play the game*.
Nintendo Life piled on, noting that even simple areas with just a few enemies sauntering about cause the game to hiccup. Now, bear in mind, this *Tarnished Edition* is already locked at a conservative 30 frames per second. That's half the graphical output of its bigger console siblings. So, to hear that even this lesser, capped version struggles to keep its composure in handheld mode? That's not just discouraging, mate; it's a bit of a reality check for those of us dreaming of flawless portable demigod slaying. And to add insult to injury, there’s reportedly no performance mode to try and smooth things over.
Now, this is where my digital wizard senses start tingling a bit. Bandai Namco, the publisher, didn’t immediately respond to Polygon’s request for comment. More importantly, they aren’t allowing Gamescom attendees to record any footage of *Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition* – not even over-the-shoulder shots. They’ve shared their *own* footage, mind you, but it’s apparently just the character creation menu. Call me old-fashioned, or just casually irreverent, but when a publisher shows off a game at a major event and actively restricts people from capturing live gameplay, it usually means they've got something to hide. It’s the digital equivalent of someone confidently showing you their magnificent new dragon, but only letting you see its perfectly brushed teeth, never its ability to, say, *fly* or *breathe fire*.
It’s not all doom and gloom, mind. The game *does* come with some fresh content, which is a genuinely exciting prospect. The Switch 2 version of *Elden Ring* will introduce a brand-new starting class called the Heavy Knight, along with new armor, weapons, and customization options. Plus, it bundles in the rather lengthy and critically acclaimed *Shadow of the Erdtree* DLC. So, if they *can* sort out the performance, there’s plenty of new goodness to sink your teeth into. But, as Nintendo Life bluntly put it, in its current state, they “just can't recommend you playing this game on Switch.” That's a pretty damning wizard's curse, if you ask me.
This isn't just about *Elden Ring*; it's about the very fabric of portable gaming dreams on the Switch 2. We’ve seen other handhelds, like the Steam Deck, manage to get *Elden Ring* running pretty darn well, sometimes even at higher frame rates and settings. This begs the question: is it a fundamental limitation of the Switch 2’s hardware when pushed by a beast like *Elden Ring*, or is this a classic case of a rushed or poorly optimized port? Given that the game is supposedly due in the next few months, one would hope it’s a very early build they’re showing off. But then again, why show it at all if it's struggling this much? It's like launching a new rocket but only showing the bit where it falls over a bit before takeoff.
For us gamers, especially those looking forward to taking their Tarnished adventures on the train or to the loo, this is a crucial bit of news. The promise of the Switch 2 was to bridge the gap between console-level graphics and portable convenience. If a game of *Elden Ring*'s stature, even in a 'Tarnished' state, can't hold a steady 30fps while moving, it raises serious questions about the *quality* of third-party ports we can expect. It's a classic dance between raw power and developer optimization, and right now, the dance floor looks a bit slippery.
I’m cautiously optimistic that patches could smooth things over, or that perhaps this was just an especially grumpy demo build. But until we get some solid, verifiable gameplay footage that shows *Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition* running like a dream, my gentle skepticism remains dialled up. We want to journey through the Lands Between, not through a slideshow of frame drops, eh?
Tags: Elden Ring, Nintendo Switch 2, Gamescom, Performance, Gaming News
Original article: Polygon