What you need to know
- Elden Ring launched on Feb. 25, with PC players quickly reporting issues with performance across various PC hardware configurations.
- Top issues include frame rate drops and stuttering in some locations, despite a recent day-one patch issued by publisher Bandai Namco.
Update, Feb 25 (7:45 a.m. ET): Bandai Namco Entertainment has acknowledged ongoing issues impacting Elden Ring, with PC-specific improvements to come in a future patch.
Elden Ring marks the latest action RPG developed by FromSoftware, with critical acclaim positioning the title among the best-rated video games in history. Drawing inspiration from the studio's past work on Dark Souls and Bloodborne, its fantasy setting has swooned reviewers and now launched on consoles and PCs. However, the PC launch has reared complaints, with performance issues plaguing some users during the early days.
Early adopters have reported frequent issues with PC versions of the title, including drastic framerate drops in some areas, frequent stuttering, and crashes. The problem doesn't appear to be limited to specific hardware, with various configurations impacted by issues, with mixed optimization across systems. It's a game-breaker for a title highly dependent on reactive combat and timing-specific combos.
The title now sits with "Mixed" reviews via Steam following over 19,000 ratings as of publication, with players taking to the marketplace, and online forums, to voice frustrations.
"As it currently stands the PC version using the latest 1.02 patch has a number of issues that will affect all hardware configurations on all graphical settings presets," added Digital Foundry in its initial analysis. "Elden Ring is From Software's first foray into low-level APIs on PC and the game uses DirectX 12. As we have seen in other DX12 titles, there can be severe and distracting frame-time stuttering issues."
Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment issued a day-one patch for the title on Thursday, version 1.02, aiming to "improve the stability of the gameplay" on all platforms. The official patch notes outlined improvements to frame drops "under certain conditions," but with issues still present upon release. We continue to outline the top Elden Ring bugs and issues, with the latest fixes and workarounds as they surface.
While Elden Ring's PC issues have marred its launch, the anticipated title looks to join the best-rated games in history. FromSoftware has honed its craft, delivering challenging combat presented through a rich open-world setting. "For players willing to embrace the challenge and defeat seemingly insurmountable foes, Elden Ring is, without question, one of the greatest RPGs ever made," stated Windows Central's Miles Dompier in our review.
Update, Feb 25 (7:45 a.m. ET) — Bandai Namco acknowledges PC issues
Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment has acknowledged ongoing issues impacting the game's PC version. "We will be constantly working to improve the game so that it can be played comfortably on various PC environments and platforms," stated the publisher in a blog post. "For the PC version, updating your graphics card drivers to the latest version may significantly improve performance."
Bandai Namco has outlined planned fixes for PC mouse sensitivity and Easy Anti-Cheat failing to launch under some conditions. The publisher plans to address both "in the near future," with an upcoming patch packed with PC-specific improvements.
"We are also working on a few other bug fixes and performance improvements as needed. Please don't hesitate to contact our support team if you encounter other issues."
Elden Ring is now available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, plus PC, starting at $60 on all platforms.
Bottom line: Elden Ring is a critically important RPG and one fans of the genre shouldn't miss. A truly special release that managed to exceed all expectations.
