Tales of the Shire is an upcoming cozy life simulator that will allow players to take on the role of a hobbit and live in one of Middle-Earth's most beautiful and peaceful places. Players will be able to decorate their own hobbit holes, interact with new and familiar characters, garden, fish, forage, and, of course, cook iconic Hobbiton dishes. While Tales of the Shire is currently planned to be released for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X, it may shine on one of these consoles in particular.
Tales Of The Shire Is Perfect For The Nintendo Switch
While PC, PlayStation, and Xbox gamers will certainly enjoy this Lord of the Rings- inspired title, Tales of the Shire seems like the perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch more so than any other console. There are many reasons why it's the perfect game and console pairing, including:
The Switch Is A Haven For Cozy Games
Since its initial release in 2017, the Switch has become strongly associated with cozy games. Animal Crossing: New Horizons and its villagers are the standout examples, but other cozy titles that have found a home on the Switch include Disney Dreamlight Valley, Stardew Valley, Spiritfarer, and many more. Tales of the Shire's adorable aesthetics and focus on tasks like home decoration, farming, and cooking mean it has a lot in common with previous titles that have suited the Switch well.
Its Requirements Indicate It Won't Lag On The Switch
The Nintendo Switch does have one unfortunate downfall: it has, at times, struggled to handle more graphically or mechanically intensive games. However, Tales of the Shire's currently revealed features and minimum requirements seem to indicate that this will not be the case. It will require only 4GB of memory and does not need a cutting-edge, top-of-the-line graphics card to run properly. Although its performance details on the Switch have not been confirmed, it seems likely at this point that the game will be able to run on this console without staggering, lagging, or losing any of its many features.
Life Simulators Benefit From The Switch's Mobility
Like New Horizons and Stardew Valley before it, Tales of the Shire promises to be the kind of game that players can sink hours into at a time, easily losing themselves in all-day marathons. However, life simulators and task-focused games such as Tales of the Shire also work well when played in brief periods. It is easy to pick up a game like this, harvest a few crops or catch a few fish, and then put it back down again. This is another area where the Nintendo Switch shines - it is extremely portable and mobile, letting players enjoy Tales of the Shire and similar games while on the go.
The Switch Could Use A Solid Lord Of The Rings Game
Previous Lord of the Rings- themed games have often been sweeping, graphically intensive affairs that have not found a home on the Nintendo Switch. Lord of the Rings: Gollum did see a Switch release, but received negative reviews citing both gameplay and performance. Another recent game, Return to Moria, was not released on the Nintendo Switch at all.
Tolkien fans have been eager for a Switch game set in Middle-earth for a while, and Tales of the Shire looks to be finally delivering that. If the game succeeds on Switch, it is even possible that players could see themed accessories such as Tales of the Shire JoyCons or controllers, letting fans truly let out their inner hobbit as they use their Switch to live a peaceful life in the Shire.
- Released
- July 29, 2025
- Developer(s)
- Wētā Workshop
- Publisher(s)
- Private Division
- Franchise
- The Lord of the Rings
- Number of Players
- 1






- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, PC