Latest Elden Ring patch still doesn’t fix performance issues
FromSoftware has released a minor update for Old Ring on July 4th, which will make some balance adjustments and implement a number of bug fixes to the game in the wake of the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. But these changes were overshadowed by growing player frustration over From’s attitude toward fixing the game’s persistent performance issues.
On all platforms, but especially on PC, Old Ring suffers from an inconsistent frame rate that struggles to reliably hit 60 frames per second, even in the game’s performance mode. But From has rarely addressed the issue directly in patches, often suggesting that players make adjustments themselves.
In the patch notes for update 1.12.3From added a section titled “Potential unstable performance improvements.” In it, the developer suggested that PlayStation 5 players experiencing unstable framerates restart their consoles in safe mode and use the “rebuild database” option. PC players were asked to disable third-party mouse applications and ensure that ray tracing wasn’t inadvertently enabled. And From asked PC players who encountered a false anti-cheat message to “verify the integrity of the game’s files before restarting the game.”
“It is utterly bizarre to me that instead of improving performance, they continue to recommend placebo solutions,” he wrote a commenter on Reddit. “Performance issues? We think it’s your fault, yes. Now go ahead and do things that no other game requires because it’s your PC/PS5’s fault,” another wrote.
Gaming tech experts Digital Foundry recently released their analysis of Old Ring after Shadow of the Erdtree‘s release and discovered that “Long-standing technical issues remain unresolved.”
“There seems to be no real progress (…) after two years,” Digital Foundry reported. “Few developers can match this studio’s mastery of world-building and 3D combat. But on every platform, we see a developer who repeatedly ignores important technical issues. (…) Shadow of the Erdtree‘s release is a further reminder that obvious, persistent problems in the studio’s output are being overlooked.”
Elsewhere in the patch notes, From noted changes it had actually made to improve the game, including weakening the Swift Slash skill in player-versus-player combat, extending the throwing attack range of the Smithscript Dagger and Cirque, and changing the placement of bosses in the second encounter with Golden Hippopotamus and Commander Gaius. From also fixed a number of bugs, including one that caused enemies to constantly heal themselves after having their health drained by the Black Knife Tiche summon.