Elden Ring is showing signs of being a major success on Nintendo Switch 2, with the newly released Tarnished Edition currently sitting at number one on the console’s eShop charts. Impressively, the four-year-old Elden Ring appears to be finding another substantial audience on Nintendo hardware long after its original launch, and after a rough Switch 2 demo in 2025.
FromSoftware’s Switch 2 port of Elden Ring had a particularly difficult road to release. Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition was originally expected in 2025, but early public showings raised concerns about major frame-rate problems, particularly while exploring the open world in handheld mode. FromSoftware eventually delayed the port to 2026 to spend additional time improving performance. That decision appears to have paid off, turning what initially looked like a potentially troubled Elden Ring Switch 2 port into a much more polished release.
Elden Ring Hits Number 1 on Nintendo Switch 2
The latest Nintendo Switch 2 eShop rankings for the week of August 30, as reported by Nintendo Everything, place Elden Ring at number one, ahead of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2, Mario Kart World, Cyberpunk 2077, and Pokemon Pokopia. Elden Ring had already reached the top position through preloads the previous week and has retained it following its August 28 launch. However, there is an important caveat as the rankings are based on revenue rather than units sold, and Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition’s $79.99 price does give it an advantage over cheaper games. Still, remaining number one after release provides the first concrete sign that plenty of Switch 2 owners are buying the port.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
That early commercial momentum is accompanied by a much better technical reception than the port received last year. The finished Switch 2 version targets 30 FPS in both handheld and docked play, and testing suggests it generally stays close to that target aside from occasional drops in demanding open-world situations. Image quality also remains surprisingly sharp for a portable version, with the presentation reportedly hovering around 1080p in many situations. The compromises compared with more powerful consoles and PCs are still visible, but the disastrous performance concerns that once surrounded Elden Ring on Switch 2 have largely failed to materialize.
Finding another substantial audience this late in Elden Ring‘s life is arguably just as noteworthy as the technical turnaround. The original game debuted in 2022, meaning many FromSoftware fans have already had years to explore the Lands Between on other platforms. The Tarnished Edition does offer a substantial package for newcomers and returning players, bundling the base game with Shadow of the Erdtree alongside new classes, equipment, and Torrent customization, also available in the Elden Ring Tarnished Pack. More importantly, Elden Ring on Nintendo hardware offers a dedicated console version that can move seamlessly between a television and portable play, which the original release could never offer.
The result is a remarkably different story from the one surrounding the port a year ago. What once drew attention because players questioned whether Switch 2 could run Elden Ring properly is now topping the platform’s digital charts and earning much stronger technical impressions. Exact sales figures will provide a clearer picture of its long-term success, but the early response is also encouraging for FromSoftware ahead of The Duskbloods, another major project being developed specifically for the Nintendo Switch 2. For now, reaching number one immediately after launch is about as strong a comeback as Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition could have hoped for.
- Released
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February 25, 2022
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
