Before you eagerly launch yourself into Elden Ring and prepare to die countless times, you might want to rethink how you’re playing the game if you’re on PS5. That’s because tests have suggested that the PS4 Pro version of the game is in fact the best way to play Elden Ring if you want to prioritize frame rate.
These results come via an IGN Performance Review of Elden Ring that compares how the game runs on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S consoles. At the 12:40 mark, the tester notes that the setup with the fewest drops in frame rate was when they played the PS4 version of the title on PS5 hardware (which will automatically use the PS4 Pro's settings).
Specifically, the reviewer noted that this odd combination was the only time Elden Ring maintained a smooth 60fps in every section that was tested.
So how can this be? Well, the PS4 version of Elden Ring comes with some intrinsic downgrades compared to the native PS5 version. Thanks to the lower image resolution and less detailed environments - these aspects make the PS4 version game easier for the PS5 to run, allowing the beefed-up hardware to more easily maintain a consistent frame rate.
How to get Elden Ring running at 60fps
In order to make the switch to the PS4 Pro version, you'll first need to make sure you ordered Elden Ring for PlayStation 4 (either digitally or on a disc) instead of the PS5 alternative. A free patch will then give you the PS5 version as well - but if you bought the PS5 version, you won't be able to take advantage of the downgrade.
With both options available in your PS5 library, you should be able to optionally download the last-gen version to experience smoother frame rates.
But, before you go and downgrade Elden Ring on your PS5, you might want to consider a few things first.
For one, this test is based on one person’s experience with certain sections of the current version of the game. In other areas of the game, and as FromSoftware releases new patches, you could find that the PS5 version once again becomes the preferred option for Sony players.
Additionally, this downgrade means that other aspects of your experience won’t be as good as they would be if you played the true PS5 version of Elden Ring.
According to user th1nk on ResetEra those playing the PS4 version will experience less vegetation populating the environment, reduced quality of shadows and ambient occlusion effects, slightly longer load times, and a lower resolution picture.
If you don’t mind experiencing the odd dip in frames in order to experience more impressive visuals then you might prefer playing the game on Sony's latest hardware.
- Playing Elden Ring on PC? Why not check out our PC setup tests for the game
