Elden Ring Tarnished Edition comes to Switch 2 on August 28 — here's what you need to know before preordering

Elden Ring is finally coming to a Nintendo platform — Tarnished Edition launches on Switch 2 on August 28, 2026, and preorders are live now across multiple retailers in both the US and UK.

The Tarnished Edition bundles the base game with the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, adding 30–40 hours of content, two new Starting Classes, extra armor sets, and mount customization for Torrent. In the US it runs $80; in the UK the RRP is £69.99, though Smyths currently has it for £59.99 — a £10 saving over Amazon. Preordering from any major retailer nets you two exclusive in-game gestures. The edition also includes unique armor sets and Torrent skins, and FromSoftware has confirmed those cosmetics will be available as a standalone download for PS5, Xbox, and PC players too. One practical note: the game takes up 75GB, so a microSD Express card is worth considering before launch.

The catch is that this is a Switch 2 Game Key-Card release — the physical cartridge contains no game data and simply triggers a full download from the Nintendo eShop once inserted. For collectors or anyone without a reliable internet connection, that's a real limitation. On price, the £60–80 tag makes more sense when you consider Shadow of the Erdtree alone still sells for $40 / £32–35 on other platforms, making the base game portion of this bundle roughly $40 / £27. GameSpot's Tamoor Hussain gave both the base game and the DLC a 10 out of 10, making this one of the most critically acclaimed packages you can buy.

Switch 2 is less powerful than PS5, Xbox Series X, or a high-end PC, so some performance compromises are expected — though specifics on resolution or frame rate targets haven't been confirmed yet. Digital preorders are also available via the Nintendo eShop for anyone who'd rather skip the card entirely.