FromSoftware released a small update for Elden Ring on July 4 that makes a few balance tweaks and issues some bug fixes to the game in the wake of the release of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. But these changes were overshadowed by increasing frustration from players at From’s attitude to fixing the game’s persistent performance issues.
On all platforms, but especially PC, Elden 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 directly addressed the problem in patches, often suggesting players make tweaks themselves instead.
In the patch notes for update 1.12.3, From included a section titled “Possible unstable performance fixes.” Here, the developer suggested PlayStation 5 players experiencing unstable frame rates reboot their consoles in safe mode and use the “rebuild database” option. PC players were directed to disable third-party mouse applications and to ensure ray tracing hadn’t been unintentionally enabled. And From asked PC players seeing an unwarranted anti-cheat message to “please verify the integrity of the game’s files before restarting the game.”
“It’s absolutely wild to me that instead of patching performance they continue to recommend placebo fixes,” wrote one commenter on Reddit. “Performance issues? We think its you, yep. Now go ahead and do stuff no other game requires, because its your PCs/PS5 fault,” another wrote.
Gaming tech experts Digital Foundry recently revisited their analysis of Elden Ring after Shadow of the Erdtree’s release and found that “long-standing tech issues remain unaddressed.”
“Seemingly no good progress has been made […] after two years,” Digital Foundry reported. “Few developers match this studio’s craft in world-building and 3D combat. But on every platform, we’re seeing a developer that ignores key technical issues time and again. […] Shadow of the Erdtree’s release once again reminds us that obvious, persistent issues 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 nerfing the Swift Slash skill in player-versus-player combat, extending the throwing attack range of the Smithscript Dagger and Cirque, and changing placement of the bosses in the second encounter with Golden Hippopotamus and Commander Gaius. From also fixed a number of bugs, including one that caused enemies to heal themselves constantly after having their heath decreased by the Black Knife Tiche summon.
