Elden Ring has already received many good reviews above 90%, as the review site Metacritic shows. A major criticism, however, is the technical aspect of the new From Software title. Performance issues occur mainly on PC, but also on consoles like PS5.
What is the problem with Elden Ring? Although the game is receiving top ratings from the global press, this new open-world soulslike is struggling with severe issues. The combination of an aging engine and DirectX 12 often leads to performance issues.
While the Xbox Series X and S are also affected by these problems, they can be resolved relatively easily here. There is also a way for PS5 fans to play smoothly at 60 frames per second. However, it seems that the PC is currently hit the hardest.
- Even in performance mode, the Xbox Series X and PS5 cannot always maintain 60 FPS and often drop to 45 frames per second.
- In the quality mode of both consoles, 60 FPS is rarely reached, sometimes dropping down to 30.
- In addition to performance issues, important settings like ultrawide support and an open frame rate cap are missing on PC.
Is there a Day 1 patch? Yes, it is already available on the servers and is around 13 GB on PC. Although it has improved the situation, it is still far from optimal on PC and consoles.
Update, February 25 at 14:00: There is now a statement from developer FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco, in which they address current issues and reveal what you can do about it
PC version struggles with FPS drops and pop-ins
How bad is it on PC? The problems with the PC version seem to far exceed those of the consoles. The PC version of Elden Ring not only has issues with general performance but also with loading objects.
This results in frequent freezes that severely disrupt the gameplay. Whenever the game loads new enemy types or objects, “stuttering” can occur. This means that individual frames freeze briefly, causing the game to stutter.
While these issues improve as the length of a gaming session increases because the game caches certain objects, there are other issues that are more persistent. Upon entering a new area, even with good hardware, the game drops to as low as 40 FPS, as Eurogamer reports.
Furthermore, it should be noted that PC players also have to forgo some features that they are normally accustomed to on a computer. Elden Ring does not provide an open frame rate and tops out at 60 FPS, as the game simply does not allow for more.
There is also no support for ultra-wide monitors, and some graphics options are not as detailed as you would expect from other PC titles.
Detailed information can be found in this video, which, however, is still regarding the network test:
The video for the release version should be available soon and will be added here.
What can you do about the problems with Elden Ring?
What helps on Xbox? Both the Xbox Series X and S offer the option VRR, which stands for Variable Refresh Rate. While this option does not necessarily make your game run smoother, it gives the impression that it does. The VRR option significantly reduces the number of perceptible stutters.
The downside is that not only the console but also your TV or monitor must support this function. However, if you have both, you can simply enable VRR in your console settings and enjoy a pleasant experience with Elden Ring.
Elden Ring: Instead of PS5 version, better the PS4 version?
What helps on PS5? This is already more difficult, as the PS5 version struggles with much harsher performance issues and the Sony console unfortunately does not offer VRR functionality. Here we recommend switching to the PS4 version and playing it on PS5.
You will have to forego high resolutions, and some environmental effects do not look as beautiful as in the native PS5 game. The PS4 version of Elden Ring is currently the best option to achieve consistently stable 60 FPS on PS5.
What helps on PC? Currently not much. There is, however, the option to use various VRR services like Nvidia’s G-Sync or AMD’s FreeSync on PC. These services make the game look a bit smoother, similar to the Xbox.
Nevertheless, the PC version of Elden Ring is currently facing the toughest issues. However, this is something that future patches could address, and will likely do so. There is currently no official statement regarding this.
If you are not too eager to play Elden Ring and only have a PC to play the game, it is advisable to wait for the next patches. Additionally, you will need a decent PC because, as found out by Gamestar, Elden Ring cannot be started at times with less than 12 GB of RAM.
The community is disappointed, hoping for further patches
How are fans reacting? On reddit and Twitter, negative comments about the technical issues are piling up. Even beforehand, the system requirements for Elden Ring were a major topic of contention among fans. Many now feel validated in their skepticism and are venting their frustration on social media.
Many are considering playing on PS5 instead of PC or Xbox, as the PS4 version currently seems to be the only way to play smoothly at 60 FPS on the new Sony console. Others, however, are saying they will wait for the next patches and thus do not want to play Elden Ring at release.
- Sen1c92 writes (via Twitter): “I knew I should have waited, damn. Well then, back to Horizon, lol.”
- Other users still have hope, as St_Dismas writes (via Twitter): “I fully expect that some hobby-professionals from reddit will quickly fix these errors with fan patches.”
- RobinNico9 is less optimistic (via Twitter): “And that’s exactly why I usually wait to buy games like this. I should never take them at launch.”
What do you think of Elden Ring? Did you pre-order the title and can you live with the technical problems? Do you think a fix is already on the way and won’t take long to arrive?
Or do you simply not care about minor stutters and are still looking forward to this soulslike? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.
Elden Ring: All information about co-op and PvP – This is how multiplayer works
