You can play Dark Souls on Nintendo Switch this weekend (sort of)
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Dark Souls: Remastered is the first portable way to experience the challenging adventure!
Lordran — a kingdom ravaged by the dead and withering in the feeble glow of a setting sun. You, the Chosen Undead, can change its fate, but it will take persistence and skill.
The name of Dark Souls has become associated with incredible difficulty, and as a result, many have shied away from it over the years. However, Dark Souls is coming to the Nintendo Switch, and with portability, refreshed visuals, and your best buddy Solaire of Astora in amiibo form, now is the perfect time to don your armor and dive in.
Don't be daunted by the challenges ahead. Here's everything you need to know about Dark Souls on Nintendo Switch.
What's new with Dark Souls Remastered for Nintendo Switch?
September 19, 2018 — Network Test app for Dark Souls added to the Nintendo eShop!
Eager to get some time with the upcoming Dark Souls Remastered for Nintendo Switch? You can! Starting Friday, September 21 through Sunday, September 23 from 5pm - 9pm PDT there will be a Network Test for the game. That means you'll be able to play parts of Dark Souls, but you won't be able to save your progress or play offline.
There's a great big warning this test is an unfinished version of the game, but if you need to get your fix you can grab the Network Test version from the eShop now and be ready when the first test starts!
August 29, 2018 — Release date confirmed, and the Switch port is looking smooth
Digital Foundry recently took a look at the Switch version of Dark Souls Remastered. The game will run in 720p during docked mode and 1080p in docked mode, but will retain a 30 frames per second framerate in either scenario. This is a bit disappointing considering the other remastered versions of this game get a nice bump to 60 frames per second. Here's what Digital Foundry had to say about it:
The presentation when playing in handheld mode is certainly crisp, and in line with the publisher's website, which states that users should expect a native 720p pixel-count for mobile play, rising to 1080p when docked. It's also confirmed that Dark Souls Remastered opts for the original release's 30fps, as opposed to the double frame-rate seen in the other remastered editions. We noted a touch of slowdown during alpha-heavy scenes in the boss battle, but overall, while the sample of gameplay we had was limited to say the least, Dark Souls Remastered is looking good.
With that, we also got recent confirmation that Dark Souls Remastered for Nintendo Switch will arrive Oct. 19, 2018.
We have kept you waiting long enough, and now are pleased to announce
— FROMSOFTWARE (@fromsoftware_pr) August 14, 2018
that the Nintendo Switch version of DARK SOULS REMASTERED will be
released on the 19th October, 2018.
Finally we hope you can look forward to playing Dark Souls wherever, whenever you wish. pic.twitter.com/F8z8AjUIPA
The game wasn't initially set to launch alongside other platforms, but the original estimate given by From Software was in one of the summer months. This is much later than Switch fans had been hoping for, but the wait should be well worth it.
May 25, 2018 — Dark Souls: Remastered for Nintendo Switch launch date postponed
In case you hadn't already heard the news, Dark Souls: Remastered for Nintendo Switch has been delayed. Nintendo is noting a new release time frame of "Summer 2018." It's out for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 as of today, but Switch gamers will have to wait a bit longer. Hopefully, not too much longer.
You can still preorder Dark Souls: Remastered for Nintendo Switch on Amazon, but the current release date shows December 28, 2018. Don't let that scare you, though. The default release date for preorder games that don't have an official launch date is always in December. It will be updated when the Dark Souls: Remastered for Nintendo Switch launch date is announced.
- What's new with Dark Souls Remastered for Nintendo Switch?
- Who are you?
- What's been remastered?
- The Solaire of Astora amiibo
- Upcoming Network Test
- When will it release?
You, the Chosen Undead
At the start of Dark Souls, you wake up in a cell with nothing but the clothes on your back (maybe), a single item chosen during character creation, and a key to the outside. You'll carefully pick your way out of the Undead Asylum, facing Hollow and broken Humans and a gargantuan Asylum Demon, all who want to stop you from leaving. Why are you headed out? What is there to do once you reach Firelink Shrine? That's up for you to decide and learn as you play.
Dark Souls is notoriously vague about its storyline, with much of what's going on revealed through set pieces, item descriptions, and very occasional references in dialogue. That leaves you free to interpret what's going on as you wish. On the bright side, you won't have to guess at the controls. Your brief stint in the Undead Asylum at the start serves as a tutorial for the different types of moves you'll execute in this action RPG. Pay close attention, even if you've started as a spellcaster. Dark Souls is not just a game you can mash buttons through. You'll have to watch your enemies, learn their tells, and react accordingly. That's part of what makes Dark Souls both incredibly challenging, and incredibly rewarding.
Remastered, rekindled
The version of Dark Souls coming to the Switch isn't just any old Dark Souls. It's Dark Souls: Remastered. Veteran players might find great reasons to revisit Lordran even if they've already faced down Gwyn. For starters, the game looks a lot better, running in 1080p at 30 fps on the TV and 720p at 30 fps in handheld mode. Goodbye, Blighttown framerate woes!
In addition, many improvements have been made to online play. Now, up to six players can play online together (up from four), and password matchmaking has been made available (ala Dark Souls III) in addition to matchmaking with friends. Of course, even if you're only interested in solo play, you'll still be able to leave and read the memorable glowing messages on the ground for others playing the game around the world. Be careful about trusting anything that tells you a path is safe!
You may notice a few other tweaks here and there, such as the ability to switch Covenants at Bonfires and some convenient changes to how items are picked up and selected. None of these will drastically change the familiar Dark Souls experience. Rather they are quality of life adjustments that smooth a few rough edges of the original adventure.
Praise the Sun!
The Nintendo Switch version of Dark Souls: Remastered gets one extra bonus: an amiibo. A Solaire of Astora amiibo will launch alongside the game. By tapping it, your character will perform the iconic "Praise the Sun!" gesture. Yes, that's all it does.
Solaire may be tricky to track down, though. He's currently a sold-out GameStop exclusive, so there's no way to pre-order him anywhere. If you want to praise the sun with your favorite knight friend, you'll have to keep an eye out at GameStop on launch day and hope for plenty of stock.
Upcoming Network Test
If you want to try out Dark Souls: Remastered on the Switch ahead of its release, there will be a brief network test window where you can try the game for free with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
The test will take place from Friday, September 21 through Sunday, September 23 and will occur from 5pm - 9pm PDT on each day. You can download the network test file from the eshop now so you're ready to play when it launches.
Single and multiplayer content will both be available, but you will only be able to play in the Undead Parish for the purposes of the test, and your progress will not carry over into the full game.
When can I prepare to die?
Dark Souls: Remastered has received a new release date of Oct. 19, 2018 on Nintendo Switch. You can pre-order the game at Amazon. The Solaire of Astora amiibo will launch alongside the Switch version.
Lordran is calling!
If you have more questions about Dark Souls: Remastered on Nintendo Switch, let me know in the comments!
Updated September 2018: Added details about the Dark Souls: Remastered network test.