TL;DW: Journalists played Elden Ring on Switch 2 on gamescom. They weren’t allowed to record gameplay but performance is really bad. Tons of stuttering and reportedly dips to <20FPS in cases.
time for the switch 3!
…or time for developers to rediscover the long lost art of Optimization
https://pcoptimizedsettings.com/best-elden-ring-steam-deck-settings-optimized-for-45-fps/
45 fps / 90 hz on a Steam Deck, seems reasonably well optimized to me.
well optimized for the steam deck (or for PCs, really)
Yeah it’s just generally still way higher powered than the switch 2. But Nintendo has always sold underpowered hardware because of their monopoly on their properties
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pcs/switch-2-versus-steam-deck/
The Switch 2 is actually decently beefy for what it is—give or take certain specs, it’s about comparable to the PS4, which Elden Ring launched on and ran fine on. But Elden Ring is simply a poorly optimized game overall. It ran like shit on PC after it launched, though they eventually got it into a mostly good state years later (or maybe people just upgraded hardware to the point they could brute force it to be stable).
But I guess trying to port it from x86 to Tegra for Switch 2 is another thing entirely that they apparently weren’t prepared for. If all they did was shove it behind an emulation layer or something (yikes if so), I can see why it’d suck. But given just how held together by duct tape the game is in general, I wouldn’t be surprised if they simply lack the resources or expertise to really optimize for a different architecture, since they barely support one to begin with.
… The Switch is built out of roughly the same kind of computer components as a PC, as a Deck, as a laptop.
PCs tend to have a distinct CPU and GPU, more modern Consoles and the Deck and Switch tend to use basically an APU, where the CPU and GPU are the same physical thing, and they use a different kind of RAM than a PC, such that it can be shared by the CPU and GPU functions of the APU…
(PC or dedicated GPUs have their own, different kind of RAM)
…but its not like the Switch 2 is some magical kind of completely incomparable thing.
Like … AMD and Nvidia make GPUs for PCs.
The Switch 2 uses an Nvidia APU.
The Deck uses an AMD APU.
They… both use x86_64 architecture. They both use the same general category of LPDDR RAM.
Basically, what you are saying is, is that Elden Ring is poorly optimized for cheap, Nvidia APUs, which Nintendo contracted Nvidia to develop for them, to put into their Switch 2s.
Its… not like Nvidia drivers for Elden Ring have… not been a thing, for years.
People have been playing Elden Ring on all kinds of other devices for years as well.
To use PC terminology, the Switch 2 is what you’d call a potato: technically capable of running software… but just barely.
the switch 2 is ARM based, not x86. idk the intricacies of the switch 2 GPU when compared to mainstream nvidia graphics cards, but I’d guess there are major differences between a mobile APU and a big boy PC GPU
technically capable of running software… but just barely.
come on now.
Oh well ok you got me, Switch 2 is ARM based, I am wrong there.
As to differences between APU and GPU drivers?
Nah, not really, at least not on linux, from a game-user standpoint, not these days.
That the Switch 2 is ARM based is probably actually significant.
You would basically have to port an 86_64 game over to ARM, potentially redesign a whole bunch of the game’s core inner working systems.
Again though, yes, there are big differences between a full PC GPU and an APU… but there’s far less difference between a laptop GPU and APU, in terms of compute power per physical volume, and many laptops can run Elden Ring just fine.
The Deck and Switch 2 both have APUs… only one of them really struggles with Elden Ring.
And yes, the Switch is a potato compared to even a low-mid tier gaming PC.
It is also a potato compared to a Deck:
I have yet to encounter a Switch 1 game I cannot emulate on my Deck, with worse than a 10% FPS drop from what the Switch itself gets natively on that same game.
Used to be the case that you need a pretty beefy desktop PC or laptop to emulate last gen consoles.
Uh nope, not anymore.
EDIT:
If the Switch 2 is using an ARM chip, probably the closer comparison would then be to a smartphone, as ARM has been dominant in smartphones for some time, due to it basically mazimizing energy efficiency and low cost, at the comparative detriment of overall compute power, when you put it up against x86_64 broadly.
Yes, it’s the game devs fault for not optimizing a game that was released in 2022.
It definitely could not be Nintendo’s fault for releasing a console in 2025 that can’t play games from 2022.
There’s no reason it shouldn’t be able to. The hardware has proven to be very adequate, better than Steam Deck.
Optimization isn’t necessarily a global thing for software. Often you need to optimize it for different types of hardware. This is often especially necessary for consoles, as they are specific kinds of proprietary hardware that are relatively static. Optimization for the PC (or Steam Deck) is not necessarily optimization for a Switch 2, which may even require optimization between handheld and docked modes.
elden ring released on PS4 and xbox one, consoles which are (on paper) less powerful than the switch 2
the game ran fine there
WHO COULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING? (/s)
I would never have thought to try to play Elden Ring on a handheld console, never mind a Switch (2).
It’s actually a pretty decent experience on a Steam Deck. I definitely prefer having a larger screen, but it’s very playable.
I have only played elden ring on the steamdeck and it was fine. I completed both the main and the dlc.
A couple of days ago I started it using Steam remote play to the deck, just assuming that it would suck on Deck itself. Apparently it gets 40fps on low settings on Deck which is better than I expected but still kinda sucky.
I mean I never checked the stats but the play was fine with me. im not exactly a l33t guy with a decked out tower, multi high end panels, and gaming peripherals though. Filthy casual.
That game is so frustrating.
You want your Vigor to be at the soft cap (40 if you are Gud, 60 if you don’t like driving nails into your proverbial winky). Grab a tower shield and spec for that and it will carry you to Malenia, Mohg, and Elden Beast. Learn to dodge and you are good all the way up to the final DLC boss. And actually use the spirit ashes (and not just the mimic tear).
While I think some of the endgame bosses are more than a bit much due to their long attack chains with multiple delays in a given combo, pretty much everything else about ER is some of the most accessible Souls’ing ever to be seen. Its just that people think they are hot shit just because they beat Ornstein and Smough back in the day and try to glass cannon it and… don’t do that.
Also probably don’t play it on a potato. Which is the point of the thread.
OH. And don’t be afraid to respec with the gal who likes bad boys. Most of the endgame bosses have MASSIVE weaknesses and Malenia is kind of notorious for how fast she melts against a stagger build or an arcane bleed build.
My gripe with the game besides getting my ass handed to me on the regular is that it’s way too massive yet still quite empty. Having to wander around exploring and finding nothing but some plant material is quite boring. I think my favorite layout has been DS Remastered where the Firelink Shrine is the hub with many spokes leading out into different areas that you definitely shouldn’t go until later.
I wound up losing interest jn the game and buying Demons Souls which has been fun and more like the Dark Souls and Bloodborne that I’m used to.
Yeah. ER’s overworld is really not one you are meant to explore*. It is a lot closer to the Ubisoft design philosophy where the idea is you are going from point A to point B and find POIs (caves, mines, etc) along the way. So it is more that you should always more or less be walking in the direction of the grace sparkles and just do caves as you find them.
Outside of the good shit that you read about online to get more bell bearings or special weapons.
That said: I will always argue that Nioh 2 is the true best Souls. And that is a lot closer to Demon Souls in that there is no interconnected metroidvania world and it is all discrete (often repeated) levels. But the combat is without parallel and, after the initial horrible bosses (fuck Hino Enma. Although she is more Nioh 1), they are REAL good. Reminiscent of Dark Souls 2 in that it often feels like a duel between two knights (well, samurai) but actually done well.
Staying vague since they are one of the big bads but: Nioh 2 has a recurring enemy. Eventually you fight them when they are truly at the peak of their power and it is a BRUTAL fight. But it works so well because you have mastered the game by then so you are constantly rushing forward to counter their perilous attacks, getting in quick swipes, dodging all of their attacks, etc. And the narrative build up is SO good. It honestly feels like a Yakuza/LAD boss in that “In a different world we could be friends. In this world you have slaughtered countless innocents. But I like your vibes and that attack you just did is so fucking sick”. Yes, Team Ninja actually made Pursuer/Forlorn/Aldea WORK.
*: Until the DLC… where exploring too soon breaks every single NPC quest the moment you cross a bridge
I appreciate your reply. I gave the game a legitimate shot. I put 40 hours of play time into the game and it is just not for me.
Learn to dodge
Sorry, you lost me here.
I still think Dark Souls 1 is more accessible than Elden Ring. Yes, ER offers more and better tools - like the aforementioned spirit ashes - but the complexity and demands of the boss fights are still much harder I would say.
I think DS1’s very structured first half is pure genius. Asylum and Taurus demons teach you about situational awareness and the value of using movement to manipulate your enemy and make openings. Capra teaches you to carry a god damned shield and that sometimes you have to trade health for progress. Gargoyles are DPS gates that also encourage actually summoning. Iron Giant exists… And O&S are your final exam that makes sure you were paying attention (and also you have Brolaire… if you play offline. Otherwise you just get endlessly invaded). I think it does fall apart in the back half but most of that game does.
ER definitely suffers from the open world nature of the game. Theoretically, Stormveil (?) castle is your first legacy dungeon and it is really good for that… Some of us found the back path and did Raya Lucaria (?) first and dealt with the hell of a bunch of kids with M-16s hosing you down the moment you stick your head out from behind cover. But the various bosses still do a good job of teaching mechanics.
But I really think the secret is the Spirit Ashes. No matter what your build, you can find an ash to complement that. Yeah, they fall off as you near endgame but… you have mimic tear then. And then, if you are smart, you grab Tiche and realize knife mommy is best girl.
All that said? I think the Niohs actually have the better system where you can summon NPCs based on player builds fairly freely. But Nioh also has some of the worst boss progression in the sense that TN seems to think Hino Enma (bird lady who is hard to hit, inflicts status effects, and has a grab that heals her…) is the third boss you should fight…
But yeah. As much fun as “git gud” is, it just really annoys me because people’s need to say they are super hardcore sexy super gamers just ignores all the work that the devs of these games put into teaching mechanics and providing alternatives. And Elden Ring REALLY suffered from that with all the sweaties who insisted you should play with no summons and low vigor… and then got pissy that it was hard.
As soon as you understand that traversing the level is the real boss… christ on a cracker, the amount of times I’ve fallen to my death. (I’m on crystal cave, I should know better by now)
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
Deep breath
┬──┬◡ﾉ(° -°ﾉ)
But it’s such a good game. <3
Oh yes, for sure! That’s what I tend to tell people whose first Soulslike is Elden Ring: Dark Souls 1’s bosses will feel very underwhelming in comparison but the areas themselves will be equally or more challenging.
Though the DLC does have a couple of fun bosses. Make sure you look up how to enter it, it’s not something you’d stumble on naturally. Also you have to do it before the final boss, unlike later games NG+ starts automatically upon defeating the final boss.
Or just use magic its great, you can one-shot many bosses with the kamé kamé ha glass cannon build.
Magic is definitely easy mode against (most) bosses. But the traversal between bonfires needs more effort since, even if you also have a glock spell you fundamentally have limited damage because you need to fuel it with blue estus. So people tend to grab moonveil or some other hybrid melee for those purposes and you quickly realize that a lot of the team that worked on Dark Souls 2 worked on certain areas in ER.
For a noobie that would be a stupid build for their first run. They will soft lock themselves at renalla.
I main staff in one hand and ROB in the other and its worked out well. I’m in the DLC now most of the way through and only got stuck a couple times. I did a shitload of grinding.
That isn’t an all magic build though. Renalla is nearly immune to magic so a full magic build (blood isn’t magic) does neglible damage on her.
Using a tower shield and poke weapon was the easiest playthrough of the game I’ve done. Easiest of all the from soft games I’ve played, even. The final boss went down in 4 minutes and I barely had to heal.
I think a problem some people get with these games is they have a sort of tunnel vision. They’ll have a scimitar and lose to the boss lose to the boss lose to the boss, and they don’t really consider trying something else.
Back when game design was an actual artform, having a boss who’s easy with one build but terrible against another up-to-then valid build indicates BAD GAME DESIGN, but suddenly when it’s Fromsoft making the amateur failures, it’s Perfectly As Designed™.
Yes, for example, famously pokemon with the elemental gyms was bad design. You should totally be able to use your fire pokemon to fight the fire gym. /s
And certainly no other game has something like a fire elemental boss that you can’t use fire on.
There’s just such a contingent of people who get off on hating from soft. It’s tedious as heck
Come now, Fromsoft’s design flaws go far deeper than “fire beat water”. Don’t strawman things you supposedly respect.
Your post was nonsense. “You can’t have a boss that is strong against something else that used to work” is a stupid design “rule” you made up. Like every game that has meaningfully different builds is going to have parts that are easier or harder for a build.
Easier and harder are not the goal posts being discussed.
You yourself say the boss battle was EASY with a shield and pokey build. That is a whole different discussion than, “some builds do better against certain enemies”.
Stop strawmanning the argument, numpty.
Or, from the sacred texts -
Git gud.
If you’re a toxic dipshit, sure?
Or we can actually be mature adults and realize that From (and most of the good souls devs) actually put a LOT of work into gradually ramping up difficulty, teaching mechanics, and adding alternatives so that pretty much anyone can beat any non-DLC boss without a human summon.
That could be what he means by git gud.
Learn the basic attack patterns and how to dodge. Don’t skip bosses. You’ll learn the mechanics and by extension you’ll “git gud”.
People that bitch about people saying “git gud” are the toxic ones. Usually it’s someone who gets angry because they can’t beat a boss. If you’re good you don’t cry if someone says “git gud”.
This is exactly the point! I wish i could have explained it in this way years ago. Git gud means you gotta put in the work to learn the enemies area and bosses. I have beaten all fromsoft soul games besides bloodborne :(, and i am by no means the best player. Yet i git gud and beat every one of them to full completions.
But dont ask about my death count.
So frustrating for myself too, but for some reason I have over 300 hours in it
That is awesome.
It’s a soulsbourne game, that’s its whole point.
Oh yeah.
Its the switch 2 thats frustrating, not the game. Did you even read the article or better yet the headline
I don’t care at all what platform the game is on.
That game is maddeningly frustrating.
That’s the joy of it though. You bang your head against the wall until you learn the mechanic or pattern or counter and then when you’re in you’re 265th battle with Malenia and you fucking nail the dodge on her water fowl dance and stick her in the face, the dopamine rush cascades over you and you die in the opening of her second phase because you missed the dodge on her opening attack 🥹 chefs kiss
I felt that. Theres nothing like a brand new souls game. The feeling of over coming every new boss in a game is magical beyond belief.
Except for some optional bosses I found it pretty chill. Most of the optional bosses that are hard have easier ways of dealing with them, too.
Dude, just git gud.
Git Gud.
It’s bland and average at best.
