Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition’s Switch 2 Performance Disappoints at Gamescom 2025

Cologne, Germany — Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, set to release in 2025, faced criticism during its demonstration at Gamescom 2025. Many gamers and media outlets expressed disappointment with the performance of the game while it was played in handheld mode on Nintendo Switch 2.

IGN, a notable outlet that tried the game, reported significant frame rate drops, particularly in open areas like Limgrave. Explorations outside of the tutorial section revealed that turning the camera caused troubling slowdowns, hindering both combat and exploration. In addition to these performance issues, players found the button layout confusing, which added to the frustration.

“We came away very disappointed with the game’s performance, especially in the wider areas,” said an IGN representative. “The frame rate drops were significant when turning the camera. It made combat confusing and exploration dispiriting.” Although recording gameplay was prohibited at the booth, the outlet shared its thoughts through their video coverage.

The demonstration was exclusively in handheld mode, which some critics found odd as performance could potentially be better in docked mode. Despite the struggles, visual details, like landscapes and character designs, were praised, hinting at the game’s potential.

Bandai Namco has not yet set a precise release date for the game, but the expectation remains that the developers will optimize performance before launch. “Elden Ring is incredibly popular on other handheld platforms, and fans are eager to see how it performs on the Switch 2,” noted a gaming analyst.

As anticipation builds for Elden Ring’s arrival on the Nintendo Switch 2, fans hope that further development will improve its performance before the game’s official release, allowing it to meet the expectations of its dedicated player base.