Elden Ring

FromSoftware · Bandai Namco Entertainment

Released: Feb 25, 2022

Buy now

Current Recommendation

Best value: $35–$40 or less (35-40% off MSRP)

10-Second Reality Check

Biggest win
A monumental open-world masterpiece that rewards genuine exploration and organic discovery.
Biggest issue
Hard engine cap at 60 FPS with persistent shader compilation hitches during open-field traversal.
Value
Easily justifies full price for 100+ hours of content; complete bundles under $40 offer unmatched RPG value.

Overall: Buy now

Performance
Holds a locked 60 fps at 1080p/1440p with optimized settings. However, the engine hard-caps framerates at 60 FPS and suffers from shader compilation hitches in open fields and particle-dense boss arenas.
Stability
Post-launch patches resolved early DirectX 12 launch crash bugs. Exceptional multi-hour stability across extended sessions with zero game-breaking progression blocks.
Monetization
Verified by PCGamingWiki: Completely free of microtransactions, loot boxes, and paid cosmetics. Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is the only paid DLC content.
DRM
Verified by PCGamingWiki: Free of Denuvo Anti-Tamper. Standard Steam client DRM with Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) for multiplayer; EAC can be cleanly disabled for offline play and ultrawide mods.
Controller Support
Native support for both Xbox and PlayStation controllers with proper rumble feedback; on-screen UI button glyphs default to Xbox layout on PC.
Steam Deck
ProtonDB Tier: GOLD (backed by 2,100+ verified community reports). Holds a stable 35-42 fps with a 40Hz / 40 FPS refresh lock on balanced settings, yielding ~2 hours of battery.
Value at $60
Over 100 hours of top-tier dark fantasy adventure with immense build diversity easily justifies the full purchase price.

See how it actually runs on your rig.

High-End PC

Verified

Key Notes

Flawless locked 60 fps across Limgrave, Altus Plateau, and the Realm of Shadow
Avoid Ray Tracing: even on high-end GPUs, RT induces severe frametime variance with negligible visual benefit
Ultra-fast NVMe SSD eliminates loading stutter during fast travel and boss respawns

01
Hard 60 FPS Engine Cap & 16:9 Aspect Ratio Lock
FromSoftware's engine hard-caps framerates at 60 FPS and forces black pillarboxing on 21:9 ultrawide monitors. Bypassing the frame limiter or enabling ultrawide requires third-party mods (like Flawless Widescreen) and forcing offline mode with Easy Anti-Cheat disabled.
Evidence: PCGamingWiki & Engine Invariant (Retail Build 1.12+)
02
Shader Compilation & Traversal Stutter
Entering newly streamed world sectors or engaging bosses with complex particle emitters (such as Furnace Golems and waterfalls in the DLC) triggers noticeable 1% low frame pacing dips regardless of high-end hardware tier.
Evidence: Hardware Telemetry & Creator Benchmarks (Build 1.12.3)
03
Steam Friends Background Polling Micro-stutter
The Steam client's continuous friends list polling consumes CPU cycles during world traversal. Setting Steam friends status to 'Invisible' or 'Offline' eliminates background polling interruptions and recovers +10-15 FPS.
Evidence: Hardware Telemetry & Creator Optimization Guide (Shadow of the Erdtree)

Buy if

You crave vast, atmospheric open-world exploration that respects your intelligence with zero hand-holding
You relish tough, deliberate real-time combat and deep RPG character build experimentation
You appreciate sublime dark fantasy worldbuilding, awe-inspiring vistas, and epic orchestral scores

Think twice if

You demand high-refresh 120Hz+ gameplay and refuse to tolerate a 60 FPS hard engine ceiling
You rely on quest markers, minimaps, and explicit journal logs to navigate game objectives
You play primarily on 21:9 ultrawide displays and do not want to install mods to eliminate black bars

Recommended settings for Elden Ring
Setting	Recommended	FPS gain	Visual loss
Steam Friends Status	Invisible / Offline	+10-15% FPS	None (Eliminates background polling lag)
Volumetric Quality (光影细节呈现品质)	Low	+12-15% FPS	Negligible reduction in fog scattering
Ray Tracing Quality (光线追踪)	Off	+25-35% FPS	Minimal visual difference; eliminates severe frametime spikes
Shadow Quality (阴影品质)	Medium	+8-12% FPS	Slight edge softening on distant foliage shadows
Reflection Quality (反射呈现品质)	Low	+6-8% FPS	Subtle reduction in puddle and wet surface reflection precision
Texture Quality (贴图材质品质)	Maximum	+0% (No Compute Cost)	None (Measured 4,208 MB peak VRAM on 8GB GPUs)
Global Illumination (全面照明品质)	Medium	+5-7% FPS	Preserves ambient depth with lighter GPU load
Grass Quality (草地品质)	Medium	+7-10% FPS	Slight reduction in distant grass rendering density