With the recent surge in popularity thanks to Elden Ring and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, thousands of new players have returned to Lordran. For them, the question is: Should I play on version 1.04 or the latest 1.06?
Here is the verdict:
Version 1.04 remains the gold standard for authenticity and stability. Later patches (1.05 and 1.06) introduced features few asked for:
If you own a physical copy of Dark Souls Remastered and play offline, do not update past 1.04. You have the definitive version—the one that preserved the original’s rhythm while fixing its genuine flaws. dark souls remastered 1.04
If you are digital-only, you are likely on 1.06. But rest assured, all core improvements (durability fix, backstab reduction, matchmaking) originated in 1.04.
Version 1.04 ensures the narrative remains intact. The choice at the end—sacrificing yourself to rekindle the flame or walking away to become the Dark Lord—is purely cinematic, but the mechanics of the ending matter.
In the Remaster, the post-game cycle (NG+) is seamless. With the recent surge in popularity thanks to
An interesting footnote to history: Dark Souls Remastered on Nintendo Switch launched at version 1.03 but received a unique 1.04 update in September 2018 that diverged from Sony/Microsoft.
Switch 1.04 did not include the backstab window reduction (due to the console’s lower network processing overhead). Instead, it focused on:
Thus, Switch players still play a slightly different "1.04" than their PlayStation counterparts—a rare case of patch divergence. If you own a physical copy of Dark
The most significant mechanic present in 1.04 is Moveswap.
Version 1.04 retains the geometry that allows for famous skips.