Tales of the Shire Pre-Orders: All Bonuses, Editions, and Platforms

The time has finally arrived, hobbits. The highly anticipated cozy Lord of the Rings game, Tales of the Shire, has finally doubled down on its latest release date by opening up pre-orders. Fans can now pre-order Tales of the Shire, which comes out on July 29th, to get ahold of some exciting pre-order bonuses. Alongside the pre-orders, Weta Workshop has confirmed physical editions of the game, meaning you’ll be able to add that cozy game box to your collection. Here’s everything you need to know to make a decision about your Tales of the Shire pre-order.

Although cozy gamers and Lord of the Rings fans alike have been very excited for Tales of the Shire, the delays left many feeling uncertain if July 29th would actually be its release date. But now, pre-orders are available for Nintendo Switch, PS5, PC via Steam, and Xbox Series X|S. There are two different physical editions available, as well as digital pre-orders, so let’s break down all the differences to help you decide.

Tales of the Shire Editions & Platforms

Tales of the Shire will have a physical release for PS5 and Nintendo Switch, though there will also be digital versions available via Steam and for the Xbox Series X|S. There are two different physical editions for gamers to choose from:

• Retail Edition – Physical copy of the game for PS5 or Nintendo Switch, with a fold-out map of Bywater
• iam8bit Exclusive Edition – Physical copy of the game for PS5 or Nintendo Switch, with special book cover-style sleeve. Also includes the fold-out Bywater map.

The iam8bit Exclusive Edition is available to pre-order starting on May 6th for $39.99 for Nintendo Switch or PS5 versions. Meanwhile, pre-orders for the Retail Edition are listed as “coming soon” and don’t yet have a price available.

Tales of the Shire will be available digitally on all platforms, as well. Currently, there are no pre-order options for the digital versions of Tales of the Shire. This could change as we approach the release date, but for now, pre-orders and incentives are for physical copies only.

Tales of the Shire Pre-Order Bonuses

While you’ll get the physical game and Bywater map regardless, those who decide to pre-order will get some extra bonuses, as well. For die-hard Hobbit fans who want to pre-order the physical versions of Tales of the Shire, you will get a bonus download code for the official game soundtrack. From what we’ve heard so far, it sounds like it’ll be extra cozy, perfect as background music when you’re not able to actually play Tales of the Shire.

It’s important to note that the special iam8bit Exclusive Edition of Tales of the Shire will begin shipping on release day, July 29th, so it may not arrive right on launch day even if you do pre-order. However, if that book-style sleeve is a must-have, it may well be worth the wait.

Tales of the Shire: A Cozy Lord of the Rings Game will release on July 29th for PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. No news yet on whether there will be a Switch 2-specific version, but hopefully you’ll be able to enjoy it on your new console via backwards compatibility regardless.